Lesson
by Phantom Shade
Summary: After too much stress builds up Danny snaps, and his parents must learn a lesson that could change their lives, while Danny must discover who and what he truly is.
1. Hero

**A/N: This is just something I had to get off my chest. Don't kill me please.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not a brilliant man who made Danny Phantom. Me no owney. Any of it, other then the idea in this oneshot. Back off lawsuits!**

**Lesson**

In the late hour of 2:30, a loud ruckus was heard.

"Back off Skulker! I'm really not in the mood!" The young hybrid shouted, firing an ecto-blast at his robotic foe. For the fifth night in a row, Skulker had shown up, awaking the troubled teenager to engage in another useless fight. It had started to wear on his nerves, his grades had fallen into the toilet, he was always tired, bruised and beaten. Danny didn't even have the patience to engage in a contest of witty banter anymore.

"Which is why I'm in the mood, whelp!" the ghost yelled back, firing rockets at his foe, still wanting his wall-hanging.

Danny sprung into action, twisting and diving to avoid being hit, but one smashed into him, flinging him into the near-by apartment building. In turn, bricks fell from the building and smashed into a parked car, turning on the loud car alarm. "Great. More things I'll get blamed for" he moaned, and set his neon-green eyes once again on the 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter' The half-ghost sped towards him, purposely running into him.

"So now the prey comes too the Hunter. How cute..WHAT?" he mocked, before noticing his armor had ice creeping onto it. Then the suctioning force of the blue beam sucked the ghost into his soupy prison.

"If he shows up again, I'm going to lose it." Danny moaned to himself, then froze as a ecto-blast whizzed past his head, and whirled around "What was? Oh great."

"Stop right there Ghost Punk!" Jack Fenton exclaimed, hopping out of his Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle, with Maddie right behind him "Your days of terrorizing the town are over!"

The stress, lack of sleep, and total anger that had built up over the days finally got to Danny. He snapped. He glared at his father and let his pent up frustration come out "Terrorizing? THAT'S what you call HELP around here!" he growled "If it wasn't for me, You'd. Be. DEAD! So would a lot of others! So why don't you just leave me ALONE!"

"No, we would have a nice ghost-free city. And that man's car wouldn't be smashed." The female ghost-hunter countered, priming her gun to fire

"So it's my fault that I get thrown into a building?"

"Yes it is! If you just stayed in the Ghost-Zone where you belong, none of this would have happened" She pointed to smashed windows and burn marks on the pavement, all signs of ghost fights.

"You think you can handle this yourselves? Fine! I'll stop helping. And when the town is in disarray and you are begging for my help, I'll laugh and watch you suffer!" The hybrid said scathingly, quickly moving to the side to dodge another ecto-blast. "Good bye and Good riddance!" he vanished, and invisibly flew back to FentonWorks.

Maddie lowered her gun, doing a quick scan to see if the ghost-boy was still around, but couldn't find him. "Do you think Phantom was telling the truth?" she asked, mostly to herself.

Jack patted his wife's arm and shook his head "No way. You know ghosts, they lie to trick us. We can handle ourselves."

Dp Dp Dp 

He was wrong. A week went by, and the Hunters were starting to feel the stress. Ghost after Ghost would come, and with no Phantom around to stop them, it just became ten times harder. Even worse, Danny refused to speak to them. When they entered a room, he left. More of his time was spent at Sam's or Tucker's. He'd rather do homework then speak to them. Jazz assured them it was just a phase, but it was unsetting all the same.

Two weeks after that, and they were the living dead. They had no time, Danny still wouldn't talk to them, and the Ghost were causing even more trouble then ever. They sagged to the floor of their lab, full of melted and broken ecto-weapons. Most of them had been melted, vaporized or now refused to work. "Phantom was right. We need help." Maddie sighed, then quickly looked up, hearing a small laugh.

"Told you I'd laugh." Phantom sighed, looking at the exhausted ghost-hunters "But I don't feel good about it. Need a hand?" He put out his white-gloved hand, and both Maddie and Jack took it, ready to try again.

**The End**

**That's it. I feel better now. Before the ending was…harsher. But I changed my mind.**

**So. Hate it? Liked it? Wish I'd never been born? I want to know. Please review!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	2. Truth

**A/N: Oh dear. I'm back with a new chapter for this. It has changed from a one-shot to a full story. It's because of all of your amazing reviews So, thanks go to, Titan6, Isadora The Great, Dannyandsamlover, Icepaw, Egyptian Ghost Kitty, Me-agaisnt-the-world, magpie8spook, Ali Phantom, Writer's-BlockDP and Zarz. **

**That's enough talk, onto the second chapter of Lesson! **

**The first time was a quiz for Maddie and Jack and they passed, but can they pass the exam? Dun dun…**

**Truth**

Bright light was shining into the kitchen of the Fenton home, where the family was eating breakfast, building a weapon, and deciding what to do for the day.

Danny, who was queasy because of the rather dangerous looking weapon, spoke up first "So you're going ghost hunting again?" somewhat sourly.

"That's right Danny-boy!" Jack exclaimed joyfully, not noticing Danny's slightly annoyed expression "We know how hard it is to hunt those beasties alone, so now that we have new, working weapons, we're going to try and find Phantom and help him out!"

Danny spat out the cereal he had been chewing out at this "What? I thought you didn't like m-him. I uh..he doesn't need any help" he sputtered, not wanting to get shot as they 'helped' him.

Maddie looked up, and wondered why her son was so nervous about a ghost he didn't even know. "I'm sure he wouldn't say no to some help. It's really hard getting rid of unwanted ghosts by alone Danny."

"Don't have to tell me about that" he muttered under his breath

"What did you say Hun?" she asked, concerned

"Wha? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all! And now I'm going to…call Sam." Danny said quickly, and bolted out of the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Maddie mumbled to herself. Danny had been acting so strangely lately. First he wouldn't even look at them, now he was always rushing off to go somewhere else. She have to have a talk with him later.

"Come on Maddie! We have ghosts to catch!" he over-exuberant husband exclaimed, leaping out of the door, pulling her along with him.

"Ghost Hunters." Jazz mumbled, starting to clean up the mess her family had left for her.

LINEBREAK! YES LINEBREAK! IT'S STILL A LINEBREAK!

"The Fenton Finder says there are two Ghosts over…there" Maddie said, pulling out a never-been used (Or tested for that matter) Fenton-Ecto-Gun, sprinting to where it pointed.

"Wait for me Honey!" Jack yelled, running after her, forgetting his weapon in the Fenton RV.

The couple stopped in front of an alley, where the Ghost Boy and a white and green colored snake were locked in combat. "Stupid snake! How do you keep getting out!?" he moaned, blasting it away with a well aimed ecto-blast.

"I'll get'um!" Jack bellowed, holding out his hand, forgetting that he didn't have a weapon. "Must have forgot it in the RV! Do you have an extra one sweetcakes?"

"Sorry Jack, but it's just me and Phantom on this one" Maddie tossed her dejected husband a snickerdoodle, and he quickly cheered up.

"I'd rather that it was just me if you don't mind." Danny said, once again knocking the persistent ghost away "You'll just get in the way."

"We won't. We've been hunting Ghosts far longer then you." Maddie argued

"May I remind you that I am a in fact a Ghost?" the hybrid shook his head, narrowly dodging the snake's fangs "See? You're distracting me!" he gave the snake a taste of his white gloved hand in the face, slamming it into the wall.

The blue jump suited hunter stopped talking at this, and primed her gun to fire, forgetting her ecto-gun homed into a Ghost's ectoplasmic signature.

At the same time, Phantom pulled out his Fenton Thermos, and fired a blue-white ray at the snake, sucking it into the Thermos. He slammed the lid back on triumphantly, grinning. His expression quickly changed from joy to fear within a second, seeing Maddie's gun trigger had gone too far for her to call it off. "Oh shoot." He dodged quickly to the right, glad he dodged it. But it came from behind, slamming him hard in the back. He yelled out in pain, and crumpled to the ground.

Maddie was horrified. They had come to help, and they did more damage then the ghost had! She ran over to the fallen Ghost-Boy, who was sitting up now "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. That's not important! What is that Ecto-gun supposed to do?" Danny asked urgently, wanting to get away fast if it had unpleasant side-effects.

Jack grinned. Time for what he did best. Blathering on about his weapons! "Well you can see, it's quite unique! It not only locks onto a Ghost, but it powers them down on contact! But..it might make a Ghost quite angry, so they attack. Verbally or physically, I don't know. It hasn't been tested." He said, and Danny paled visibly with every second of it.

"Power down? Not to the point of death I hope?" he wrung his hands together, nervous of his father's answer. Maddie attempted to help the tired Ghost up.

"Of course not! Just so they can't fight."

"Well that just _wonderful!_" He spat, shoving Maddie away. His eyes seemed to glaze over, looking less reasonable, less human then before. "Not only are you lousy Ghost Hunters, you have rotten aim too!"

"I guess they attack with speech" Maddie said softly, feeling bad already. Having Phantom breathe down her back about it wasn't pleasant. Jack nodded, not enjoying this at all.

"You know what? You come to HELP, and cause more damage! How NICE!" the Half-Ghost hissed, pushing himself up "You're lousy Hunters, lousy helpers and don't forget being lousy parents!"

"WHAT?" Both of the hunters spoke as one, shocked at his accusations.

"You heard me! You wouldn't notice if you own son walked in with a broken leg, as you are FAR too busy with your STUPID, POINTLESS, PAIN-BRINGING INVENTIONS!" he snarled, but his hand flashed and his white gloves vanished, bringing him quickly out of his rage "What? My head…Gah!" he looked at his hand again, willing it to go back to its normal state. It refused. He glanced side to side, and flew quickly through the wall, out of sight.

Both parents just stood there, gawking at what Phantom had said. Jack spoke up first "That was Danny."

Maddie looked at him, shocked "That couldn't have been Danny. No one can be Human and a Ghost at the same time dear." She said, mostly to convince herself.

"But it's so obvious" Jack said, itching his head

"Jack, I love you, but you are being too simple-minded. It's just not possible. Danny might be friends with Phantom though, that would be why he said those things" she reasoned.

"I guess you're right" Jack sighed and walked slowly back to the RV, still very sad about what the Ghost had said. It was very hurtful. But was it the truth?

**Duuun Dunnn**

**That's it! For this chapter at any rate. **

**It's that time again, Review time! Do you want to kill me? Did you think it was okay? Do you want to whack me senseless with a large fish? Tell me and REVIEW!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	3. Think

**A/N: Awww… only three Reviews for Chapter Two. Was it really that bad? Oh well, Thanks Me-agaisnt-the-world and Writer's-BlockDP**

**Will Maddie get out of her scientific way of thinking? Or will Jack be the lone finder of the secret?**

**Find out by reading on!**

_**Thoughts/dreams are in Italics **_

**Think**

In the dark that came with 1:00AM, a young hybrid was thrashing, moaning, and sweating profusely under his blue covers

"_Who would ever care about a freak like YOU?"_

"_You don't belong…"_

"_You're Dangerous…"_

_Evil…_

_You'll kill everyone…_

"_In the Ghost Zone, where you BELONG…"_

"_Join me Daniel… "_

"_No one understands like I do…"_

"_Weirdo"_

"_Freak"_

"_You're no son of mine…"_

"_GHOST!"_

"_Get away…get away…" Danny moaned, looking all around the eerie green room where he was trapped, not finding the source of the voices._

"_You know they won't except you…you were bluffing all along" Vlad's taunting voice sounded from every corner_

"_I wasn't!" he cried back, trying to fight the voices away, his ecto-blasts fizzling out before the were even formed_

"_Bluffing…"_

Danny awoke with a start, exhausted from his battle with his fears "I wasn't bluffing" he muttered. _That's not true…you didn't let your parents find out yesterday._ His own thoughts taunted him, he moaned again, whacking himself with his sweat-drenched pillow "Stop it me. They don't have to know that yet." The ghost-boy tried to reassure himself, and then noticed what time it was. 9:00AM already? _Good thing it's a Sunday_. He thought, before finally getting up to go eat with his family. _That doesn't know who you are._ "Oh shut up." He growled to himself, viciously yanking one of his many white and red tee-shirts out of his closet.

**Another break of the line variety Woooooooooooooooooooooooooo. DP!**

Maddie was once again tinkering with another of her husband's inventions that wasn't quite working yet. What Phantom had said the other day had been disturbing. Why would he accuse them of being bad parents? It's not like he even had parents any more. Heck, he was a Ghost, he might have really died of old age for as far as they knew. But how much he acted and sounded like a teenager made that less believable. That was kind of sad. Dying at such a young age. Must have been violent too, or he wouldn't be hanging around in the first place. Perhaps he meant his old parents? So many ideas, so little proof. If only they could get him to stick around long enough to talk.

"I still think that was Danny." Jack mumbled to himself. It just seemed so blatantly obvious now that he though about it a little bit. Same wiry build, hairstyle, they even talked sort of the same.

"Jack, we went over this. It's not possible for Danny to be the Ghost boy. There would have been a body, as he'd have to be dead" she choked up at the thought of seeing her little boy dead on the floor.

Nevertheless, when Danny entered the kitchen, Jack stared at his son oddly, and poked him as he walked by, then over and over as he was starting to eat his breckfast.

"Will you stop poking me?" Danny said, rather unkindly after his rough night. He really wasn't in the mood to be poked. _Wait a sec…Jazz did that too. He couldn't...no he would have blathered on about it by now._ Reassured that his dad was just being his dad, he didn't give it a second thought.

"Oh. Sorry son" Jack apologized, hoping that his poking would have shown something, but it hadn't. Back to the drawing board. Or needlepoint. Needlepoint was good…

Maddie rolled her eyes, and continued to fix the new improved Fenton Finder. It would track faster, and could fire a net to capture the found Ghost. If it worked like it was supposed to anyway.

Danny noticed the familiar shape, and like the day before, looked slightly annoyed and anxious "I thought that thing didn't work anymore since I…er Phantom destroyed it" Danny stumbled over his words _Way to make them suspicious Fenton…but it was great fun smashing that stupid thing._

"Your mom's working on fixing it! That way we can do our job better!" Jack said enthusiastically _And prove to Maddie that I'm not making things up!_

"So you're going to stop being absolutely rotten to just rotten?" he hissed under his breath, and Jazz frowned, hearing him.

"Danny, don't you have something to go do?" Jazz said, seeing their mother was finishing repairing the device he had joyfully smashed to bits

"Huh? No not reall-wait! Yes I do. Homework." Danny caught what his sister was saying, and for the second time in a row, skittered out of the room quickly.

"Since when did Danny do his homework?" his mother said, surprised he was going to willingly do it.

"Since he became a Ghost" was Jack's reply

"What? How.." Jazz sputtered, franticly trying to make an excuse

"Jackkk." The blue-jump suited hunter moaned, getting tired of his silly accusations.

_Thank the heavens that Mom's stubborn_ Jazz thought to herself, as her excuse had become rather dumb, involving flame-throwers, rabid weasels and a cat. She should really consider using some of her own advice.

Another linebreak? IT MAKES IT LONGERRRRRRRRRRR!

"Hey Tuck, Hi Sam" Danny said to his friends, using their webcams to communicate.

"Hey Danny. What's up in Ghost hunt central?" Tucker asked

"I'd really rather if you didn't call my house that" he grumbled

"Ohh watch out, here comes Captain Grouchy. Rough night with the Ghosts?" Sam asked, grinning slightly

"Not funny Sam. And no, I didn't have any problems last night. Just nightmares"

"You're scared of nightmares?" Tucker laughed

"When they involve reactions to my secret, yes" Danny spat

"What happened to bring that up? Last time that happened was when you met yourself" Sam looked concerned

"That's a nice way to put it" Tucker commented, straitening his beret absentmindly

"Eh, Mom and Dad shot me yesterday again. They nearly found out who I was. And I blanked out a bit, and they were horrified when I got my sense of self back. So I don't know if it really happened or not" Danny explained

"Were they playing with weapons this morning?" Tucker asked

"When aren't they?"

"Then you have nothing to worry about, they can't know anything if they are acting normal. For them anyway" Sam reassured her ghostly pal

"Stop talking about you-know-what guys. I hear someone coming" Danny said quickly "So what movie do you want to see?" he said inventing a normal conversation

"Dead Teacher Seven?" Tucker suggested

"That movie stinks" Sam stuck out her tongue, as though it tasted bad too.

"Danny! I need to talk to you!" Jazz called, then burst in anyway.

"Okay guys, you can stop the fake conversation now" Danny told his friends, who were in a heated debate on whether or not Dead Teacher Seven was a rotten movie. But apparently it was a real argument now, as they didn't stop. "Alright Jazz, what do you want."

"I think Dad knows your secret"

"I thought that too, but he would have blathered on about it by now. It's nothing to worry about" Danny shrugged, not really caring.

"But he even said that you were a Ghost!" Jazz insisted, getting annoyed

"Mom believe him?"

"No"

"Then he'll forget about it within a week. Once again, nothing to worry about" he lied, feeling uneasy himself

"Brothers.." Jazz muttered, leaving the room, abandoning her quest to warn Danny.

"I'm telling you, It STANK" Sam yelled

"But we might think it's better!" Tucker shouted back

"Guys. GUYS!" Danny shouted over both of them, and a blue mist escaped from his mouth "Darn. Ghost trouble. I'll meet you at the Nasty Burger in an hour then?"

"Sure dude. And if you aren't there by then," Tucker started

"We'll come save your butt." Sam finished

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Danny said sarcastically, flicking the power button to the OFF position, before standing in the middle of his room, throwing his fists in the air

"Going Ghost!" came his battle cry, blue-white rings appearing around his middle, and spreading up and down, changing his normal attire to his alternate clothing, a black and white jumpsuit, with the infamous DP logo in the middle of his chest. His raven hair becoming snow-white and the innocent baby-blue eyes changing to the more determined neon-green of his Ghost form. With the transformation complete, he flew out the window to find the trouble causing specter , and spotted him instantly

"Oh not you AGAIN!" he moaned, seeing the weak blue Ghost

"I am the BOX GHOST! BEWARE!" he shouted

"Earth to Box-Ghost! There aren't any boxes here." Danny pointed out, pulling his Fenton Thermos to a good position to grab the annoyance.

"You will not catch me in that cylindrical container of DOOM!" The pudgy blue ghost declared, promptly flying away, but was no match for the sucking pull of the blue beam, getting yanked into the Thermos

"Well that was a total waste of my time." The tired hybrid muttered. Then stiffened hearing a voice

"Ghost directly ahead"

**-Is shot- That's all I'm giving you this time XP**

**So It's review time! I tried to make this one longer then my other ones.**

**Tell me what you think, and I'll update faster! Oh yes, cookies to anyone who can pick out quotes from the dream! REVIEW!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	4. Caught

**A/N: Wow. All the Reviews were so nice! Even though I gave an evil cliffie of DOOM. (And if anyone cares, the quotes were Spectra, Walker, Vlad, Vlad again, Dash, and Jack)  
Thanks go to, Egyptian Ghost Kitty, The Midnight Phantomess, Shining-Collection-X FantomoDrako, Me-agaisnt-the-world(Which conversation sounded forced? I wish to know!) and magpie8spook. You all rock. And now it's Shade with the Disclaimer!**

**DISCLAMER: Phantom owns nothing. I own nothing. Do I look like some grown up man to you? 0.o And those eight Alerts, one C2 and 6 Favorites, have made Phantom happy. What the heck did that have to do with anything? -.-**

**Shut up you. Onto the new Chapter!  
Danny's been cornered by his folks, will he be able to wriggle out of this one without raising suspicion? Read on!**

**Caught**

"Ghost Directly ahead. You would have to be some kind of idiot to not notice the Ghost directly ahead." The droning voice of the Fenton Finder came, and the young Ghost boy made himself invisible out of instinct, but that didn't trick the improved tracker, as it was still zeroed onto him.

"Come out Ghost! We know you're there!" Jack bellowed. They finally found a ghost!

"Not until you put that blasted thing away." Danny said back, forgetting that this Fenton Finder was different from the others

"Locked-on. Estimated chance of Capture: 98" The tracker droned on, and before Danny could figure out what that meant for him, an Ecto-proof net grabbed him, making him drop the Fenton Thermos, and fell on top of it, releasing the blue pest.

"BEWARE!" The Box Ghost shouted, quickly zooming off.

"Well this is nice." Danny remarked sarcastically, struggling with the net, attempting to break out of his prison. _Now I have to catch him again AND have fun time with Mom and Dad._ _And get out of this dumb net too_.

"Well, we caught a Ghost." Jack remarked lamely.

"Well this is a kind of good thing. We can as him some questions, then let him go." Maddie whispered to Jack, who grinned

"That's right! Uh, we better make if fast though. That net has a shock feature added, so Ghosts get knocked out" he whispered back

"What! I don't want to be knocked out, thanks." Danny said, worried. He didn't really want to test the theory that he'd stay in Ghost mode if he thought about it before falling unconscious.

"All right Ghost. We're going to ask you some questions, and when you answer them, I'll let you go. Deal?" Maddie said, looking at the captured Ghost.

"Since when did I get demoted back to Ghost? I have a name you know." Danny replied "Besides, I don't have much choice. I'll answer any question unless it's far to personal." He sighed, then attempted to chew his way out, which failed miserably.

"Fine, Phantom. Why do you even bother protecting the town?" the blue hazmat suit wearing hunter asked, that had been a burning question for a long time now.

"Why do you?" He answered with another question, deciding to be difficult. _If they are going to trap me in a net, I'm going to give them sneaky answers!_

"That wasn't the question. But we do because it's our job." Maddie answered, knowing Phantom was going to be difficult.

"There. You answered the question." Danny said, while yanking on the sides of the net, but to no avail. _Why is Dad so good at making nets?_

"But it isn't your job. You're a Ghost. No one is paying you, and the other Ghosts certainly don't like you for it."

"It's what I do. My family lives here, so I'm protecting them." Danny said, not technically lying, but not telling the truth either.

"So if they left, so would you?"

"Heh, my parents would never leave here. Too many Ghosts around for that." He laughed, then smacked his head. _That was REALLY stupid…_

"So it is you under that Ghost, isn't it Danny!" Jack declared

"What-whattheheckareyouttakingabout? Scrawny kid, black hair, gets bullied a lot?"

"Yep!"

"Never heard of him."

"Then how did you describe him exactly? That and I saw you chase him around only a few weeks ago" Maddie said, "Why are you after my family?"

"That wasn't me! I mean that wasn't him! It was a shape shifting ghost!" he said sheepishly "And I'm not after your family. Hello? Ghost portal in your house. I could have gotten rid of you in your sleep if I wanted too." _Oh yes, lets make them think I have murdering intentions. This is not going well…_

Maddie and Jack looked at him, shocked. Phantom did have a point there. But did that mean he was going to attack? "I think we need to put Ghost Shields around the kids bedrooms." Jack muttered

"Please don't. I can't get though them."

"That's kind of the point." Maddie pointed out.

"I answered your questions! Now get me out of this stupid thing before I get zapped!" Danny said, very annoyed at being questioned, and cramped inside the net.

The two hunters looked at each other briefly, then looked back to the Ghost Boy, and shook their heads, "No."

"**WHAT!**"

Lineish Breaky. Youaregonnakillmeforthat…. 

"It's almost been an hour." Tucker muttered, glancing at his PDA "But there hasn't been any yelling of a powerful Ghost anywhere. But it doesn't make sense. Danny wouldn't take this long to catch a weak Ghost."

"What if something caught _him?_" Sam said, dreading what that could mean "Vlad or Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?"

"The Fentons. Vlad can't cause trouble or he'll get kicked out of office." Tucker said, looking Sam in the eye. "We better go find him"

"But Danny said they were on okay terms!" Sam clenched a fist, if his own parents had lied to him…

"You know Danny doesn't always say the right things." The Techo-Wizard consulted his PDA, scanning for Ghosts. "Found him. But he's not moving much. And he's in an alleyway. Follow me!" he ran off to where the PDA had directed him, and the skidded in front of the Alley, so they could hear Danny's outraged cries

"You promised to let me go!"

"That was before we found out that you lie all the time." Maddie growled, thinking that Phantom was indeed evil as they had feared _He said it himself. He could kill our family and not care about it!._

"Let. Me. Go." He hissed, fighting even harder against the trap.

"Danny!" Sam and Tucker yelled, and pushed past the hunters, and stood in front of their captured friend.

"Kids, I need you to move. He's dangerous. We're just going to put him back in the Ghost Zone."

"Liars." The hybrid grumbled. He'd heard them talking about tests and such. _Wait a second. That's who I heard in my dream! Oh man. I'm dead._

"You promised him to let him go. If you don't, you're setting a bad example." Sam stayed where she was, glaring defiantly.

"And he doesn't look all that dangerous bundled up in a low-grade net like that" Tucker added.

"Real ego booster there Tuck." Danny muttered

"He's a lying Ghost. He's been playing us all along! It's obvious. All he said points to it. We can connect the dots. Now please move out of the way" Maddie said sternly

"There weren't any dots to connect!" he fumed

"What I don't get is why our son would be evil" Jack said, and everyone frowned

"Dear, that isn't our son. It's a Ghost that wants to get rid of our family"

Tucker, Sam and Danny all started laughing when Maddie said that "Where the heck did you get that crazy idea?" they said as one.

"He said he could get rid of our entire family if he wanted too" Jack supplied

"Wow Danny, you have such a way with words." Tucker laughed

"Not. Funny. It would be really helpful if you got this net off of me instead of laughing at me."

"Why do you keep calling him Danny? It's an insult to your friend's name" Maddie asked

"It's my name too. They have every right to call me by my first name." he said, distracting his parents while Sam worked on getting the net off.

"What are you doing, Sam?" Jack asked, seeing her struggle with the net, but was getting close to untying it.

"Letting him go!" Sam said with a cold glare, yanking the net off "Go Danny!"

Danny needed no invitation, and quickly flew off, never wanting to be that close to a Fenton Finder ever again. "Thanks guys!" he called.

"You just let go one of the most dangerous Ghosts around" Maddie said sternly "Why would you do such a foolish thing?"

"You said you'd let him go. Besides, he's our friend. He's not some crazy evil mastermind" Tucker said, turning to leave.

_How could they be friends with a Ghost? _Maddie wondered

"Maddie, it doesn't matter that he got out of the net" Jack spoke up. "He's collapsed near the Fenton RV. Trying to wreak our wheels I guess"

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Fenton!" the friends called, running to find Danny before the hunters did. Tucker found him first, tripping over his exhausted friend.

"Tucker, Sam. Thanks for the help." Danny rasped, the net had sapped his strength, and he quickly returned to his normal appearance.

"Were did he go?" Jack asked the three, looking at the Fenton Finder, which was pointing a Danny again

Maddie rushed up, seeing how tired her son looked "Are you okay Hun?" she asked, running over to see if he was fine.

"I-I'm fine" Danny opened his eyes, and Maddie let out a gasp of horror.

Instead of her son's baby-blue eyes, she saw the glowing green eyes of Phantom.

**Dunnn Dundun.**

**That's it for this one! I don't think it's my best…but it's longer at least, and moved the plot forward!**

**So what's going to happen to Danny and his family now? Review lots, and you'll find out sooner!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	5. Troubles

**A/N: Oh man. 11 reviews within two days. You guys are AMAZING. Nothing better then an evil cliffie to bring in reviews eh? A special thanks goes to magpie8spook for having the longest review AND first one too. You get a cookie   
Thanks go to, ghostanimal, piloneo, Shining-Collection-X, Morbid-Light, Songbird21, Egyptian Ghost Kitty, Saphira Arya Potter, FernClaw, bluename, FantomoDrako and Ali Phantom (I want that cookie now XD)**

**Disclamer Ahoy! Guess what? I almost lost a finger, but I still don't own Danny Phantom. It's all for enjoyment, yadda yadda yadda. You get the point. To the chapter already!**

_**Thoughts are in italics**_

**Maddie has seen with her own eyes that not everything is peachy, but will she accept it? And what's going to happen to Sam and Tucker now that it's known that they are friends with our favorite Ghost-Boy? READ!**

**Troubles**

Maddie took a step back in shock, staring at her son. Too stunned for words, her mouth just hung open.

Danny looked back at his mother, equally confused at his Mom's quick retreat. "Are you okay?"

Tucker had a coughing fit, pointing to his eyes as he coughed, hoping Danny would get the hint. _Come on...you aren't that dense, are you?_ He thought to himself, and sighed with relief when Danny shook his head, as though to clear it, and his eyes returned to normal.

"I'm fine. But you aren't." Maddie said slowly, still very confused "Phantom, get out of my son right now."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're being delusional." Danny said, wishing that he hadn't forgotten his eyes. _I am such an IDIOT!_

"Your eyes were a different colour, so don't act like I'm an idiot."

"Trick of the light?" he suggested lamely

"I bet it was. We should just go home." Jack said, looking at his wife to say 'Go along with it'

Maddie nodded "Come on Danny, you need to rest at home if you are this tired." She hopped into the RV, along with Jack

"But I was going with my friends…"

"It's alright dude, we can hang out later" Tucker shrugged, and Sam hit her head. That was a dumb idea…knew it!

"Alright…" Danny muttered, pushing himself up, and entering the Fenton RV. _What if she figured it out? Oh man. Why does this feel like a trap?_

They arrived to their home without any oddities, and Danny quickly fled upstairs, crashing into Jazz on the way. The heavy textbooks she was carrying fell to the ground along with the siblings, scattering.

"Sheesh, Danny. Watch where you're going" she scolded him, fetching all the dropped books.

"Sorry. I'm just putting as much distance from me and our parents as possible" he bent down, grabbing more of her workbooks. _Why does she do all her homework way before it's due?_

"What did you do to anger them this time?" Jazz sighed, hoping her brother had just been a jerk or something.

"Mom saw my eyes green while I was human. She thinks I'm overshadowing myself."

Jazz looked alarmed for a fraction of a second, taking her textbooks from her little brother. "I'll see what I can do to convince them they're wrong."

"Don't bother. She thinks it was a trick of the light now."

Jazz nodded, but went to put her books away. Ghost-Getter number one had a spying mission to fulfill!

PLOT MOVING FORWARD AHOY!WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Maddie and Jack were sitting in their lab, exchanging ideas. "We could use that vacuum we used on Jazz to get that rotten ghost out of him." She suggested

"I don't think that would work" Jack mumbled, still clinging onto his Danny is a Ghost theory.

"We don't want to hurt Danny by getting Phantom out… perhaps scaring him would work?" She continued reeling off ideas.

"Or just lock him up until he tells the truth." Jack mumbled, attempting to act like he thought the two were different. _Is my son really that evil?_

"I suppose that would work" Maddie said, but reluctant to hurt her child, even if it was for his own good. "We'll go tonight."

Jazz let out a shocked gasp, and quickly ran from her hiding spot on the stairs to warn her brother. She shoved open the door to find….

Danny wasn't there.

"Just great." Jazz moaned. She'd just have to wait until he came home.

DA SUSPENCEEEEEEEEEEE! FEARIT!

"Are you sure that it was a good idea to sneak out?" Sam asked, frowning slightly

"The farther away I am from that stupid Fenton Finder, the better." Danny replied irritably, as this had been the fifth time he'd been asked that.

"He's got a point there" Tucker nodded, gorging himself on a Nasty Burger

"But you're just proving that you can walk through walls by leaving without them noticing!"

"They're in the lab. They wouldn't have noticed if I'd driven a truck through the house."

"A monster truck too?" Tucker asked

"Try an airplane." Was Danny's reply

"Fine. Since it's decided that Danny isn't going anywhere, we should catch a movie. Other then Dead Teacher, as it stinks." Sam said, getting up from the fast food restaurant's seat

"We should totally see Dead Teacher!" Tucker argued, also getting up.

"Not again." Danny moaned.

BREAKOFLINENESS!!!!

"Get out of my house you useless buffoon!" Vlad yelled at the small blue ghost, who left quickly. After a loud BEWARE, of course. "Oh, I'm sorry Maddie, I'm not yelling at you." He said sweetly to a skinny white cat that creped out from under the sofa cushions.

"Meow." Maddie Cat mewed putting her head close to her master's hand so she'd get scratched between the ears, and he complied.

"He wasn't completely useless as I said. Young Daniel is on thin ice right now with his parents. Now lets see if we can't crack it." He spoke to the purring cat. "I might even get Jack out of the way this time." He broke into a villainous laugh, starting to plan.

**DUN DUN! Sorry it's so short but I couldn't find anything else to add this time. But I did get it up faster then planed, so I'm happy.  
I like reviews. You know what to do.**

**-Phantom Shade**


	6. Conflict

**A/N: I'mmmmmmmmmm BACK! I made you wait for –so- long. Really.  
And it has come to my attention that someone is confused. The first Chapter took place a MONTH (NOT counting Danneh's 'Vacation') before the other chapters, so life is back to normal by now. Sorry if that was confusing.  
And the most asked question: What does Vlad have to do with this? That's a secret mate!  
Thanks go to: mushroomcloudslooklikebroccoli(Yes, you were first. What's with the wacky name-change?)Writer's-BlockDp, The-Writing-Princess, Shining-Collection-X, magpie8spook(Loving the long reviews xD) bluename, FernClaw, soccergurl1990, The Midnight Phantomess, TexasDreamer01, and Shadewolf7(Da confused one!)**

**Woo, Disclaimer! Aren't you so EXCITED? I do not own any original Characters used in this fic. None belong to me, and never will. I am merely typing for amusement, not profit. BEWARE! On with the chapter already!**

**A trap has been set, but Jazz has no way to warn her brother. Will Jack crack and warn him, or is he destined for trouble? And what is Vlad doing? READ!**

**Conflict**

"Okay, I admit it. Dead Teacher 7 was rotten." Tucker sighed and the trio wandered out of the movie theater. _She was right again…Darn!_

"I told you. But you didn't trust me. So we had to sit through that yawn fest." Sam said, grinning triumphantly.

"Ehh. It wasn't all bad. At least the special effects looked good. Other then the ghost anyway. That was just insulting." Danny remarked, trying to make it look like it wasn't a _total_ waste of time

"Yep. The fearsome bed sheet which just happened to be named Danny." Tucker chucked, making Danny give him a playful shove.

"It wasn't THAT funny." He stuck out his tongue, and Tucker ran around yelling that he was 'The Bed Sheet Ghost, which name was Danny.'

"It was rather funny you know." Sam agreed with Tucker, making Danny scowl.

"How would you like it if there was a super peppy Goth named Sam?" he laughed at the mental image

"Is that even possible?" Tucker halted his mocking to ask.

"Point taken" Sam sighed, no way to tease him after that one.

"Aw man. I have to get home before curfew or I'll be in real trouble" Danny sighed. _I'd rather have Tuck keep taunting me about the movie then go home right now._

"Got to make sure they don't suspect anything?" Sam commented

"Yep. See you guys later." He ran off towards his house, waving good-bye as he left.

"Two bucks says he does something stupid" Tucker said after Danny was out of earshot.

**Looooooooooooooooook! LINE OF BREAKNESS YOUSHOULDBEGLAD!**

"So we've got a few ecto-guns set up, traps that will be activated by closet opening. And the Fenton Finder as a last resort." Maddie listed, surveying the booby-trapped room carefully.

"Non lethal of course" Jack added, feeling very uneasy about the whole plan now.

"Yep. Now we just have to wait. I'll go fix dinner." She said cheerfully, going down to the kitchen.

"Uh hemm…" Jack mumbled, also leaving the room.

"Mom? Dad? I'm home. And before curfew too!" Danny called, shutting the door behind him, feeling slightly uneasy.

Jack brightened _I can warn him! _He hurried downstairs, purposely blocking Danny from his room "Danny? I need to have a word with you."

The hybrid paled. _Uh oh. Does he know? I don't want to be ripped apart molecule by molecule!_ He shuttered, and looked at his large orange-jump-suited father "Uh, okay dad." He shuffled uneasily.

"Well Danny. You room is…different. If I was a Ghost that was hiding in there, I would make sure to be under the bed as soon as I entered. Then I'd open and close the closet really fast. Then I'd blast the top of the door frame, just incase a Fenton Finder was there. Now I'm off to eat fudge. Have fun Danny!" he walked away, leaving Danny speechless.

_Did he just tell me every booby-trap in my room? But why did he tell ME?_ Danny wondered, but decided it would be best to take the warning and run.

**I'M BEINGLAZYANDPUTTINGALINEBREAKTOMOVETHESTORYFORWARD!!**

"Wow. Dad was not kidding." Danny said, surveying the damage. A few burn marks on the walls, a bit of goo still clinging onto the covers of his bed (Which he had tried very hard to shake off), and the Fenton Finder in bits, which he took apart by hand so that it make it look like no ghosts were involved, even thought it would be far easier to blast it into itty-bitty-bits. That and the closet door had a nice hole in it. "Sheesh, do they want me _dead?_ That would have hurt." He muttered, very annoyed at this. _And I get to sleep in a bed with goop stuck on it. What a wonderful night this will be. _He sighed, grabbing his purple pajamas, not wishing to sleep in his clothes too.

"Danny! I heard ecto-guns. You okay?" Jazz rushed in, looking around, seeing Danny was fine. Then she saw the hole in the closet door "Sheesh, were they trying to kill you?"

"I said that too. But dad gave me a slight hint where all the traps were." He shrugged

"Why did he tell you if they were trying to catch you?" Jazz questioned, suspecting trickery.

"I dono."

Then the two jumpsuit wearing parents burst up the stares, and Maddie looked very confused that Danny was totally fine. "We heard ecto-blasts. What happened?" he asked

"_Someone_ thought it would be funny to put traps in my room" Danny answered, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. "What's with the hole in my closet? Trying to kill me?"

"It was to keep ghosts out, or capture them, not hurt you" she lied, confused. _How did he dodge everything? It was so well hidden…_

"Uh huh." Danny muttered, knowing a blatant lie when he saw one. "Whatever. By the way, I took this apart. The beeping was annoying" he grabbed the useless Fenton Finder, and gave it to his dad. He swore he saw his dad wink at him.

"You just go to bed now, your father and I have to talk."

"Got to promise me that my bed isn't going to turn into a black hole or something." Danny said, frowning.

"That's impossible Danny-Boy! You would have noticed." Jack said joyfully, glad the plan had failed.

"I feel so safe now…" he muttered, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

"You two. EXPLAIN." Jazz roared, glaring at her parents, but mostly at her mother. Jack HAD warned Danny after all…

"Honey, we know it looks bad, but we saw Danny being possessed by Phantom. We were trying to force the ghost out of him. So really, right now, that isn't your brother. It's a ghost!" Maddie explained, feeling like a bad parent for how angry Jazz was at her.

"You have any proof Danny's possessed?" Jazz questioned, not stopping her angry glare, which could make an angry cobra back down.

"We saw his eyes green, not blue." She defended herself, wondering why Jack wasn't helping at all.

"It could have been exhaustion or stress on your part Mom."

"But haven't noticed how your brother is acting oddly?" she tried again

"Not at all. He's a teenager! He's going to change a bit." Jazz continued her guilt dumping, making sure they were SORRY.

"Jazz your Mother and I are sorry. We'll go have a chat together on how that won't happen again." Jack finally defended his wife, ending the fight.

"You'd better." She stalked away into her room, but didn't slam the door like her brother, leaving the hunters in silence.

They heard Danny's voice carry though his door, snarling "What kind of parents ARE they!"

Maddie paled, hearing that. _That almost exactly what Phantom said…But that can't be._

"Come on, we should sleep too. We can talk about this in the morning" Jack sighed, being more mature then normal, and heading to bed.

**BREAKTHATISOFLINES!MADDIEISNOTVERYSMART!ILIKEFUDGE!**

_Shadows creped in every corner, leaving Danny alone in a large plain, grass rustling very slightly._

But Maddie slowly entered, looking at her son. She called to him, but he wouldn't answer. She moved forward, and still he refused to answer her call. She touched his arm slightly, and his head whipped up, with glaring green eyes

"_What kind of parent shoots her own son? What kind of Mom hunts her own flesh and blood? WHAT ARE YOU! You're an excuse. I'M your son now. Your dear Danny's gone for good, so you'd better get over it." He snarled, suddenly being Phantom, who was laughing harshly._

"_Get away from my boy!" She shouted in vain_

"_I AM your boy, fool! What you going to do? Kill me?" he spat "Lock me up forever? That still won't change a thing, Mother…" he flew around her, hissing dark things in her ears._

"_You aren't my boy!" she drew an ecto-gun, shooting him down, where he was suddenly Danny again._

"_Or am I?" he chuckled, still having the soulless green eyes "Admit it. You FAIL."_

"_You aren't real…just a ghost. Just a soulless ghost. Nothing more" Maddie muttered to herself in distress._

"_Ah. But can you PROVE IT? I most defiantly have a soul. I have feelings, and you hurt them. Why do you want me dead Mother?" he said sadly_

"_No. It's not true…" she clamped her eyes shut, and his voice went away. When they were cracked open, she saw a street. The same alley they had captured, and lost Phantom. And at the end, Danny lay motionless on the ground, with ecto-blasts all around him. The terrified mother sprinted forward, seeing that he was very dead. Freezing cold, and had no pulse. She sobbed quietly, then the voice came from behind her._

"_You killed me…" Danny floated behind her, but still had the green eyes._

_The chilling green eyes…_

**DUN DUN! BUHAHAHA! I'm just mean! And to anyone that wants to know, I have no idea how many chapters this is going to be. I know how it's going to happen, but I'm not sure how many chapters it will span over.  
And I want to know! Is my writing just bad? Good? Tell me and REVIEW! (I'll update faster!)**


	7. Paranoia

**A/N: Uh oh. I took a long time getting this up! Now I feel bad, but is not my fault! Life sucks. Along with stupid Lead projects. -.- And this should have been up of FRIDAY. But the upload system broke. So I'm sorry guys!**

**Thanks go to, Shining-Collection-X, TexasDreamer01, magpie8spook, Songbird21, Shadewolf7, ghostanimal, Ali Phantom, Devinat, piloneo, The Midnight Phantomess, Writer's-BlockDP, Chaos Dragon, and mushroomcloudslooklikebroccoli. You all are great. Now for the chapter!**

**Maddie is having trouble with what she suspects, but can't come to terms with what she knows. Can she look beyond her normal way of thinking, or is Danny in serious trouble? Go read!**

**Paranoia**

Danny sighed, shoving his books into his locker in Casper High, before turning to his friends "You see, the weird thing is that Dad warned me. I think he knows." A note of panic was in his voice, and he kept glancing around like something was going to jump out at any second.

"Danny, calm down. It's not like you're strapped down to a dissection table or anything. Besides, you told us that they accepted you. So why are you so freaked out?" Sam asked. _He is blowing this way out of proportion… _

"Because they might have changed there way of thinking! By tomorrow I could be in a cage! Or worse!" he made wild motions while speaking, causing passersby's to think he'd finally gone off the deep end.

"Danny, if you keep flailing around like that, you might get put in an Insane Asylum" Tucker said, seeing how people were making the crazy sign as they walked by.

The worried hybrid stopped at once, but he was still panicking "Mom wasn't even awake when I went to school! That _never_ happens! What if she's been working on a weapon all night? Or booby-trapping my room again!" he was quieter this time, so the weird looks stopped.

"What if she just didn't have a good sleep? Sheesh Danny, you have to calm down." Sam sighed

"Don't forget we do have to go to class. If you keep freaking out, Mr.Lancer might call your parents." Tucker added, and Danny paled

"You're right… besides the only ghost that bugged me yesterday was the Box Ghost…only problem is that I kinda trashed the lab in the process." He mumbled, and it was his friends turn to pale

"What if they blame you? After that mess yesterday, they might think you trashed the lab out of spite!" Tucker exclaimed, and Sam moaned. _Way to make Danny more paranoid then he already is._

"Oh man! You're right! ACK! WHY IS LIFE COMPLICATED?" He yelled, receiving odd looks by anyone nearby, but before ridiculing could begin, he was saved by the bell.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm glad to see class. Twice now." Sam commented, as they ran towards Mr.Lancer's class.

**Linebreak.Arn'tyouglad?Yayforcheese!**

Maddie moaned softly, still in bed, thinking. _All those dreams..could it be that? No. No. That can't be right. I don't want it to be that. Did Phantom kill my son and take his place? Is he controlling him? Am I just going crazy and seeing things? Are they the same person? Or was it only a quick five minute thing, and Danny is back to normal now? Is this Phantom's twisted idea of revenge? Can he infiltrate dreams and make them nightmares? But why did I have dreams about my son being dead by my hand? Did I kill him? Not in a literal sense, but an emotional one? Why isn't anything simple anymore?_ More thoughts flew through her mind, giving no answers. Finally, she got out of bed, and trudged downstairs where her husband was…taking out garbage? He never did that! Of his own free will anyway. "Honey, why are you taking out the garbage? And why is there so much of it?"

"Well, you seemed really tired, and Danny wouldn't do it. So I did!" Jack grinned, but didn't answer why there was so much garbage.

"Where did it all come from?"

"The lab. It's a big mess down there. Don't know why though."

Maddie looked shocked, and hurried down to the lab. It was more then a mess. It looked like a little tornado had flown through! Boxes were crushed, burned, and in total disarray. Burn marks were on the wall, and some inventions were now useless. One being the Ghost Gabber. She was willing to bet that glass had been on the ground before, but guessed Jack had gotten rid of it. He wasn't an idiot, just simple-minded. This was work of ghosts! And she was willing to bet it was Phantom too. But the surveillance camera was smithereens too. "Jack, by any chance did you see what ghost did this?" she called up the stairs.

"Nope!" he called back, but was lying. He'd seen Danny run out of the lab before breakfast, and had put two and two together. He was very sure that Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom. He'd just have to get him to admit it first.

"I bet it was Phantom's twisted idea of revenge" she seethed, wringing the air in front of her as though it has the Ghost-boy's neck

"Now, we can't jump to conclusions. We have lots of ghost enemies!" Jack attempted to protect his son.

"Name one."

Jack was at a loss. Danny was the other ghost's foes, not them! He couldn't think of anyone…"Um, those vulture ghosts!"

"I don't think they could cause so much damage. We'll go Ghost hunting after the kids get home, and get some answers." She said firmly, grabbing a bag. They had a lab to clean.

**Letsgoseeourfruitloopfriend!Itwillbefunandaddplot!**

Vlad grinned darkly, stroking his lonely-man cat "This is just perfect. Maddie already is against Daniel, Jack is a lumbering buffoon, and they are close to finding out about him. He must be stressed out by now. "

"Meow." The little white cat spoke up, still looking at the TV which showed the inside of the Fenton household.

"Quite right Maddie. Who knew the Box Ghost's mistake would make a great plan? I'll just send some ghosts out to destroy the town, setting young Daniel up for the blame! The tension will rise between them, and he will fear being exposed so much that he'll run straight to me! It's perfect!" he laughed, knowing this one could very well work. It was all a matter of time…

**Breakoflinevarity.WooooooIcouldendithereyouknowbutIwon't**

"I thought that was never going to end…" Danny moaned, resting his head on the picnic tables. Mr.Lancer could talk and talk about things he didn't really care about!

"You weren't even listening. You were too busy going over the worst possible things that could happen." Sam sighed, poking slightly at her salad. He could be so obsessive over little things.

"I wasn't listening either." Tucker added.

"You never listen though."

"And Danny does?"

"Tucker has a point there." Danny spoke up, keeping his head on the table wile rummaging in his bag for his sandwich.

"Do you know how filthy the tables are here?" Sam said, Danny was keeping his head on the table for way too long now, and had found his sandwich, leaving it on the table.

"It's not high on my 'What I care about list'" he mumbled, but sat up, picking the sandwich up again.

"It should be." Tucker laughed slightly

"Why?" he mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.

"Because you just ate an ant."

**LINEBREAK!WOOOOO!I'mrunningoutofwittythingstosay!**

Maddie sighed, and looked around the now-clean lab. All signs of ghosts had been eliminated, and it was now possible to work without tripping over something. She made sure that all the weapons were in working order. She'd even made a little trap around the fixed Ghost Gabber, as it always seemed broken. "Well, we are ready for any ghost now. As long as you don't forget where you park the RV again" she spoke up, going back upstairs to relax before the kids got home.

Jack nodded to his wife, making sure that he'd warn Danny before they left. Maddie didn't seem to be in a good mood today. Must have been from waking up all night. Instantly his mind turned to fudge. The perfect way to warn Danny! He quickly bounded up the stairs, and slipped a piece of paper underneath his fudge, then went back to needlepoint

"Mom? Dad? We're home." Jazz called, entering first. Some of Danny's paranoia had rubbed off on her, making her weary of what might happen. But nothing jumped out, no blazing weapons. No nothing.

"Hey Jazzarincess! Me and your mother are going Ghost Hunting now, so I want you to make sure Danny does his homework." Jack called back, and the two stood by the door, ready to go. "Oh darn, I forgot the fudge. Danny, be a good boy and get it?"

Danny grumbled a little, not wanting to go. He did, and yanked it out, still grumbling about how he could do it himself, until he saw the little scrap of paper float down. Stooping down to grab it, he read.  
_Ghosts shouldn't run around tonight, or they'd be in danger.  
And we have to have a little chat when I get back._

_Don't smash up the lab, and I still want the fudge!_

_-Jack_

Danny shook his head. He'd warned him again? But still wanted the fudge. What a one-tracked mind. But he brought it to his rather large father, who grinned.

"Bye kids! Don't get in trouble!" Jack and Maddie called, shutting the door behind them.

Danny just looked around in a daze. Why did his dad always warn him? He must know…but why didn't he just yell it out? How confusing.

**Morebreakingoflinesthatarelines**

Maddie sighed. There had been no ghost activity at all! Not even that silly blue one. She turned to her husband, who was busy eating fudge, ready to call it a night, but suddenly a blip appeared on the RV's scanner, and it was nearby! "Quick Jack! We have to stop whatever ghost it is!"

He nodded, and floored it, roaring towards the blip, which abruptly vanished. But what hey saw didn't vanish. An entire building was now a pile of rubble. The only good thing was that it was a disused Bingo-hall. "What did this?" Jack asked to no one, as his wife leaped out of the RV to look for clues.

She looked around the mess that one once a building, looking for anything that could point them in the right direction. She found something. A tiny black slip of paper. She unfolded it, and clenched her teeth in anger, and marched back to the car. "It was Phantom." She growled, getting back inside.

"No, he never does anything on this scale" Jack said, dismissing it as paranoia. _Besides, my son isn't evil enough to do something like smashing a Bingo-hall!_

"It was. He even left this" she showed him the paper, were the infamous DP symbol that was always seen on the Ghost-boy's chest, glared up at them, clearly saying exactly who it had been.

_But…that's not possible! My son isn't evil. Is he?_

**DUNN DUNNN**

**-Prepares to be shot- You are going to hurt me for that…**

**Anyway, I like reviews. They inspire me. You know what that means. REVIEW!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	8. Arrangements

**A/N: -Peeks out- Heh…can you tell I've been busy? It's life I tell you! And my unhealthy addiction to .Hack G.U lately. For some reason I wasn't to make Danny suffer, so it was really hard to write about him not suffering. That and I played Wii Sports way too long and can't feel my arm. Enough about me!**

**Thanks go to: piloneo, Shining Zepher, Ail Phantom, Writer's-BlockDP, Shadewolf7, FantomoDrako, TexasDreamer01 and two anonymous reviewers! (I can't give you a reply if you don't give me a way to contact you! –Pokes Megan-) **

**A plan is set in motion and Jack is conflicting with his feelings about Danny. Will he spill what he knows? Yay suspense! Don't eat me….**

**Arrangements **

"I just don't get it!" Danny grumbled, pacing his room.

"If you keep pacing like that you're going to saw a hole through the floor" Tucker's voice came from the computer, grinning slightly "You should just relax. It's not like anything bad is happening!"

"I said that before we had a cross-country trip to get Freakshow" Danny pointed out, refusing to halt his endless pacing

"You were in 'Summer' mode then. You wouldn't listen to anything. Totally different from now"

"Uh huh. I'm going to try and get that green gunk off my sheets before dad has another Father-son chat with me." He sighed, giving a slight wave as he turned his computer off. The ghost boy grimaced at the sheets. It was almost impossible to get it out. He'd have to ask Jazz, she'd gotten sprayed by that stuff before….

**Peoplelkiemylinebreaks.Isn'tthatjustweird?Istillcan'tfeelmyarm**

The couple finally stumbled in the house at 10, with nothing to show for their efforts. Maddie continued to steam about how Phantom had lead them on then backstabbed them at the first opportunity. She went right to bed, constant anger can tire you out quickly.

Jack, on the other hand, went into the kitchen, still looking at the slip of paper with Phantom's emblem. He was going to ask his son about it. He wasn't sure if he should say what he thought about him being the ghost kid though. _I'll decide after chatting with him_. He decided as he walked, knocking on Danny's bedroom door.

"Huh? Iwasfallingasleep…Oh, hi Dad." He yawned, noticing it was his Dad. "Whachawant?" Apparently he was too tired for full sentences. Or real words. "Oh ya. That." He suddenly seemed very awake when he remembered that.

"You forgot I guess." Jack shrugged, and came in his room. He quickly noticed the scraps that were once the Ghost Gabber. _Funny, it was in one piece before we left._ "Why is that in here?"

"What? Oh…that. I just found it." He lied. _Way to forget the evidence._

"Really?" Jack seemed surprised, and remembered why he came to talk to Danny in the first place "Danny, have you seen this before?" he pulled out the black slip of paper, showing the symbol to his son. "The paper I mean"

_What's the point of this? Well, I'm not lying this time._ He wondered, and shook his head no. "Never seen it in my life."

"In your after-life perhaps?" the older ghost hunter said, wanting to make sure that Danny had never really seen it before.

"What?" Danny grinned sheepishly "How could I have an after-life if I'm not dead. Really Dad. I've never seen it." _Oh man! He knows! He's going to kill me! Or un-kill me. Or something._

"It's just your mother and I found this at what was once a Bingo hall. Now it's rubble." He gave a small sigh of relief; his son wasn't evil after all! Or Phantom wasn't his son…Great, now he was even more confused

"WHAT!" Danny's eyes opened wide with shock "Vlad you miserable old man…" he muttered under his breath

"What did you say?" he hadn't heard anything after the WHAT! Part, as it nearly shattered his eardrums.

"Uh…nothing. You don't think Phantom did that right? Who would be stupid enough to leave something like that behind after demolishing a building?" he asked warily, he didn't want his job to be any harder than it already was.

"Me? No. You mom is convinced he did out of revenge though." He suddenly got a great idea "Hey, you know that Tucker and Sam are friends with Phantom?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, could you tell them to find him and ask if he'd come by for a chat to clear the whole mess up?" _I'll let him keep thinking I don't know._

"And find you two with all guns blazing? Unlikely." He hybrid crossed his arms to stop any further argument.

"I won't tell your Mom until right before so she can't prepare. It's in his best interest really." He tried to sway his son's opinion.

"Fine. 4:00PM tomorrow sound good?" he sighed

"You're sure they can find him so quickly?" Jack continued to act oblivious

"He's seen on a daily basis. It would be odd if the _didn't_ find him" Danny sighed, not looking forward to what he'd just agreed to.

"Are you going to be there too?"

"Eehh, I don't like ghosts all that much. I'll pass. 'Night." He waved good-bye to his Father, and he got the hint to leave.

_Well. I know Phantom didn't do it. But nothing else. Hopefully he'll say more tomorrow!_ Jack hoped, retiring to his room. Maddie was already asleep, but was frowning, tossing and turning. She kept moaning about Phantom, and didn't seem happy in the slightest. _That's weird._ He shrugged, and got into bed, falling asleep after counting only five chunks of fudge.

**Behappyyougotthislinebreak.Iwasgonnaenditthere!**

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Sam asked her friend, who was busy grabbing textbooks for his next class.

"No. I thought it was a rotten idea. He wasn't going to give up though. I want you two to come with me so they can't dissect me or something gross like that." Danny replied, slamming the locker door shut with a BANG. Then he noticed Dash's face in front of him. "Well this isn't good."

Dash seemed oblivious to what he had heard, instead lifting he ghost-boy by his shirt "Hey Fent-Turd! Guess what time it is."

"Time for you to get out of my face." He growled back, sick and tired of getting beat up everywhere.

"What did you say!" Dash roared, slamming him into the rows of lockers, and Danny got up, unimpressed.

"Please. A dog could to better! Actually, one did do better." He remembered Cujo, and glared at the un-wanted bully. _Why the heck am I doing this! I should just shut up before he notices anything!_

"Ya right you geek! Stop acting like it didn't hurt!"

"It. Didn't." he spat. "I bet this will though!" the frustrated teenager punched Dash hard in the face, slamming _him_ into the lockers this time. The bully was hardly conscious, and gawked at Danny.

"Oh man. I did not mean to do that." He went over to the bully, but didn't see any blood. That was a good thing. "Um. All this was a dream. Just a freaky dream you're having!" he waved his hands in the air, hoping Dash would believe it.

"How are we going to explain how you decked a quarterback with one punch?" Tucker asked, looking at the now unconscious bully.

"Simple. We don't." Danny hurriedly fled the scene of the crime, not daring to breathe until he was safely in his English class, where Mr. Lancer droned on and on about some old book. To Kill a Mockingbird, or something like that. _Why did I fight back? I can handle his lame insults and punches, pretending they really hurt. Why not this time? Why did I want to make him pay?_

Sam looked at Danny, concerned. He looked extremely angry at himself for what happened, and if he kept tugging on his hair like he was now, he'd tear it right off of his skull. She didn't understand why he'd fought back this time either. It just wasn't like him. He'd see Dash, let himself get hit and yell in false agony. He'd never tried to assault him head-on before, knowing very well that if it came to a real fight, Dash wouldn't be able to leave a scratch. Why did he stop his normal way of dealing with Dash?

**Doesn'twanttokeepboarinyouwithschoolsoshallmoveonnnnn**

Half an hour before Phantom was expected to arrive, Jack turned to his wife, how was checking every single weapon to see that it was in good working order, still obsessing over how she'd make that Ghost pay.

"Maddie, I've got to tell you something." He said_ I hope she doesn't hate me for this._

"Jack, is it important? I'm kind of busy right now." She sighed, not taking her eyes of the weapons in front of her.

"It involves Phantom."

Instantly the female ghost-hunter was all ears "What did you find out? Did that wretched ectoplasmic being destroy another building?"

"No. I've…asked to talk with him. Today. In half an hour." Jack spoke hesitantly

"But then we have no time to prepare! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" she asked, annoyed.

"It was part of the bargain. I don't think he'd really be dumb enough to leave his own emblem behind" he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"He left it to brag!" Maddie attempted to make her husband understand, but was interrupted by the kids coming home.

"Mom? Dad? Sam and Tuck are here. They said they want to talk to you." Danny called, and turned to his friends. "Tell them I want to meet them in the family room. They don't often have weapons there. And if they shoot, I'm running without answering anything." He spoke quickly, having to finish before his parents got there. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes." He darted up the stairs just before the two ghost hunters arrived in the kitchen.

Sam started the conversation "Yes Mr. Fenton, we found Phantom. He didn't seem too pleased about coming, but he says he'll come. As long as you meet in the family room, and don't shoot him. He says he'll run as soon as you draw a gun" her gaze was mostly on Maddie during this, making sure she got it.

"He does know this is our house right? We don't generally allow ghosts in our home of their own free will." Maddie spoke between clenched teeth._ Who does that ghost think he is! The nerve._

Tucker snorted at this, quickly hiding it with a cough "Oh right. I forgot. Phantom wants us to be here the entire time so you can't try anything sneaky"

"Okay. He's got nothing to fear from me" Jack grinned slightly, glad the kids had thought to think of something like this.

"Good. I was waiting to hear that." An invisible voice rang out, but a split second later, Danny Phantom was floating in front of them, looking slightly stressed, but still had the brave grin he almost always wore.

"So, what did you want to know?"

**Daaa daaa.**

**Chea I'm finished for this chapter. I'm going to try to update at least once a week, twice if I get tons of reviews And a random question you people can answer if you feel like it, What villain is your favorite? (From DP of course) Mine is tied with Vladdie and Skulker. Could ya tell?**

**-Phantom Shade**


	9. Timing

**A/N Shade: Way to make a deadline Phantom -.-**

**Shut up, I made it didn't I?**

**Shade: No. You are WAY off. This could become a habit…**

**I have a big fish and I'm not afraid to use it. So quiet! Thanks go to: mushroomcloudstastelikebr..(I'm not finishing name…too long -eyetwich-) rika195, Ali Phantom, cordria, Songbird21, Quick-demon, Soului, piloneo, FantomoDrako, Author323, TexasDreamer01, RikuLuvr, Shining Zephyr, Majestic Moon, Twilight-Phantom66, Devianta, Writer's-BlockDP, DragonDreamer7, Golden Pantha, dizapperaningirl, ghostanimal, The Midnight Phantomess, dpluver and one anonymous reviewer! –Faints from so many names-**

**Shade: 0.o 25 in one chapter? That's an all time high! And it made Phantom shut up…so yay for you guys! You all get a cookie. Buttt that means I'm gonna have to do the disclaimer again. Dang.**

**DISCLAMER: Phantom Shade owns nothing but the story line. She owns no characters, buildings or contracts saying she can sell this. It is for pure enjoyment of her person and those who read it. There, that should keep them away –Waves garlic-**

**The meeting has begun, and we all know Vlad won't let this go smoothly. But how rough is he going to make it for the Fentons and Phantom to get along?**

**Timing**

"So, what do you want to know?" the half-ghost asked, eyeing his parents warily.

"How you had such wonderful timing to prove some thing 'you didn't do'" Maddie frowned. _How else would he know about it, unless he did do it!_

"He found Sam and Tuck. They found me." He pointed to Jack, being as vague as possible

Jack shrugged meekly when his wife glared at him. Next time he'd just use fudge…

"Okay, if you didn't smash the building, who did?" _Let's see him get out of that one!_

"Well…ehh. I don't really know. For sure anyway, but I think I know who might have."

"Really? Who?" Jack asked, more kindly than his wife had.

"Well there's this guy…"

A dark laugh sounded, making the ghost-boy tense instantly, glancing around the room franticly. _Oh please. Not now._ He pleaded silently, and frowned. _Who am I kidding? It just screams VLAD._

"I think we should all go now" Sam spoke up, glancing around

"Too late." Danny groaned. He'd felt that slime ball give him a swift punch in the back. Didn't hurt really, but it was insulting.

"Oh Phantom, why do you seem so…angry to see me?" Vlad asked, appearing in the room, very much like how Danny had done minutes before "I thought you'd be finished fooling these humans by now."

"What! You good for nothing…" Phantom started, but quickly got cut off

"I just knew it! You are just a rotten ghost!" Maddie glared at her adversary, wishing she had a weapon of some sort, while Jack just sat, dumb-founded, unable to decide how to take this development.

"This is all a big misunderstanding!" squeaked the younger hybrid, glaring at Vlad "He's not my boss! I/"

"Why, they know that, _Master_ Phantom" Vlad grinned slyly, watching his opponent squirm with the vastness of the task that had been thrown on him.

"So you've been setting this freak after us all this time!" Maddie growled, looking for any available weapon to shoot at the two ghosts she despised.

"No! It's not that at all! He's tricking _you_ into thinking I'm tricking you!" He glared at the vampire-like ghost, and made a quick decision, flinging himself onto him, sending the two barreling out of the Fenton household.

"Like we'll believe that!" the female hunter growled, leaping from her seat "Come on Jack, we got to get those two!"

Jack continued to sit, staring at nothing. He couldn't decide how to take what had been said. If what the blue ghost said was true, Phantom was evil. And if Phantom was evil, so was his son. But if the other ghost was lying…it was too much to sift through right now. With a heavy sigh, he followed his enraged wife, but only grabbed capturing weapons. He didn't want to hurt him, no matter what he really was.

Maddie on the other hand, grabbed only ecto-blasters. One large one, and another two that she attached to her belt, just incase the ammo ran out like the last time she had Phantom cornered. After checking the Jack was really coming, she burst out the door, and saw the two ghosts arguing.

"This is low even for you Plasmius!" Danny growled, the worse off of the two. His costume torn in places, but wasn't bleeding. The other ghost on the other hand, barley had even a scratch on him.

"No, it's low for _you_ Phantom" he smirked, catching the enraged hunter out of the corner of his eye

"Cut the 'Phantom' junk! Why don't you just call me what you always do, make a stupid crack about my Dad and get lost!" he let loose blast after blast of green ectoplasmic energy, emphasizing every other word.

The elder ghost quickly dodged, only getting hit once before acting as though he was exhausted from the easy fight "I'm quite sorry. I didn't know you weren't finished" he flashed a grin to his annoyed opponent.

"Knock it OFF!" Danny roared, before getting hit hard in the side with a large ecto-blast. _I've got to pay more attention in these fights!_

"Why don't you?" Maddie yelled, firing once again at the ghosts she despised.

"That's my cue to leave. Ta!" Vlad vanished from view, leaving the white-haired ghost alone, so the hunter could dedicate all her firepower to attacking him. Swell.

"I'm telling you! That ghost is my enemy!" he dodged, still trying to convince his mother that she was wrong. _I don't deserve this non-stop abuse!_ He thought dryly, before having to move yet again unless he wanted to meet the pavement at a high speed.

"Sure he is. That's why you shut him up before he could finish blabbing your plan to us!" she countered, pausing her onslaught to check what Jack was doing. But he wasn't doing anything but watching the one-sided fight. _Why isn't he helping? That rotten ghost must have brainwashed him too!_ She gritted her teeth in anger, moving forward to force Phantom backwards, away from her husband.

He moved back, fumbling for the right words to explain the problem. But the constant whine and whooshing noise of the ecto-blasts made it hard to concentrate on words. Far too busy trying to make sure he wouldn't be looking death in the face after getting pummeled senseless.

"No, I shut him up because he was trying to use you! I'm not the villain here!"

"As if we'd get tricked by a rotten scum of a ghost!"

"Well if I'm the bad guy, then I was tricking you before. So you could be tricked by a ghost." He pointed out, and wished he hadn't. _Tuck's right. I have rotten convincing skills._ "Ack!" he swerved out of the way of two incoming shots. Apparently he hit a raw nerve. Just what he needed.

Maddie remained silent after Phantom's last comment, dedicating all her power to chasing after the malignant specter, until she finally scored a hit on him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

In a decent amount of pain, the ghost-boy looked up ready to try convincing the hunter to stop attacking him for the millionth time when he saw something that he didn't want to comprehend.

Apparently, Vlad hadn't left at all. And now he was behind Jack, far way from his wife and son that could protect him, with the fiend about to strike.

Abandoning the importance of his secret and personal safety Danny panicked and yelled "Dad! MOVE!"

Startled, Jack moved, not comprehending what had been yelled.

One second.

Too Late.

**Uh ohhhh. –Runs away leaving a note-**

**Shade: Welllll I guess I'll read the note. Phantom apologizes for not updating sooner and giving you a cliffy of total DOOM. And she says to blame…me? What! -Grumbles- Perhaps if you review lots, she'll come out of hiding long enough to post the next chapter.**

**And don't blame the muse! Blame the author!**

**-Phantom Shade (And I need a new summary for this. Any ideas?)**


	10. Consequence

**A/N: Shade: Yeppp. Phantom won't come out of hiding. Something about not wanted to get attacked by rabid Danny Phangurls or something. Or the giant caps letter reviews of DOOM.**

**Thanks go to, Shining Zephyr, Devianta, DPshadow, Anna Lee Gray, Ha-chan, Songbird21, Risika135, dizappearingirl, Emily, uula, wolf guardian of light, Twilight-Phantom66, fan-girls2.0, Chaos Dragon, piloneo, Invader Johnny, WolfDaughter, Writer's-BlockDP, FantomoDrako, cordria, crocgirl2815, DPcrazy, TexasDreamer01, nidaluver, and iluvlucy7**

**Who thanks people who give death threats? 0.o Weiiirrrrd.**

**No summery this time! Just the line from last time**

**One Second. Too Late.**

**Consequence**

Vlad struck, with his hand glowing with the pink ecto-energy, right _into_ his old collage buddy, firing far too fast for anyone to do anything about it.

Danny watched in horror as his father fell to the ground, with Vlad grinning smugly behind him. He glared at his foe, holding back the crushing urge to fall to the ground and sob for his fallen father. But instead he continued to glare, shivering uncontrollably "I'll…I'll kill you!" he shouted, still twitching.

"I'd like to see you try" Vlad grinned, enjoying the feeling of total victory. He didn't seem to notice how Maddie just stood stunned, or how the young ghost-boy was twitching uncontrollably in an immense rage.

"I will then!" he snarled, in a voice that was not his own. Abandoning all ecto-blasts or other ghost powers he leaped towards his smug foe, eyes burning with rage.

Vlad didn't have time to draw breath before the enraged ghost was over him, attacking with such skill and sheer power that even the ecto-sheids he conjured up wouldn't stop the unrelenting rain of physical attacks from Daniel. If he lifted an arm, Danny would counter with a low kick. If he tried to dodge, he'd be right there to meet him with a fist in the face. _Where did he get such power? I-I can't stop him!_ He too met the ground, certain that some bones where smashed to oblivion during the assault. "Okay Daniel…you win, I'll leave" he croaked, staring at Danny, who was standing over him with a charged ecto-blast.

"No you won't. I'm going to kill you, remember?" Danny hissed in that weird voice he'd adopted. He raised his fist to fire, but stopped. _What am I doing! I'm not like him…I wouldn't kill Vlad, not matter how much I hate him!_ He shivered slightly, but was still poised to strike.

"Danny don't!" Sam yelled, rushing from FentonWorks, with Tucker right on her heels

"Ya dude! You wouldn't do that!" Tucker added, feeling more safe as he had a Fenton Thermos strapped to his back, just incase.

Danny faltered, eyes flicking between both his friends and his foe, and slowly lowered his hand. "I…I…I…Did that?" he stuttered, looking at the mess that was Vlad. Collapsing to his knees he choked back sobs "What's-What's WRONG with me!" he asked his friends, but his eyes firmly set on his un-moving father.

"Nothing's wrong, you didn't kill him, right?" Sam tried to comfort her friend, but it seemed to whistle right over his head.

"Uh huh…" he mumbled, struggling to his feet and stumbled over to his Dad, but no tears fell. Not yet.

Maddie finally snapped back awake, and riveted her ecto-gun on her son "Get way from him…you-you MONSTER!" she growled, but her threat fell on deaf ears.

"Can you hear that?" he asked her, staring intently at Jack.

Everyone looked at him blankly "Hear what?" Maddie asked, running over to where both her husband and most hated foe where, trying to ignore Phantom.

"Don't you hear it! That thumping noise, coming from him! I. I don't think he's dead yet." He just kept staring at his dad, willing him to get back up.

Maddie quickly looked Jack over, and tears steamed from her eyes as she noticed that he wasn't breathing, and was unresponsive to their talking "He's gone. And it's all your fault!" she snarled

"No…no he's not! I hear it! His life-force…I hear it!" he sputtered. But how was he supposed to help him? And like a bolt from the blue, he remembered an incident only a few weeks ago.

**LINEBREAKTOFLASHYBACK!YESHTHEBREAKSOFLINEAREBACK!!!**

"Sheesh, that hurt" Danny complained, rubbing his back in an attempt to sooth the pain. It wasn't working.

"How did it hurt?" Sam asked, tapping the ghost-boy so he'd answer her. He'd ignored her three times now.

"Well, kind of like someone was pinching my back…but it doesn't hurt anymore" he said, confused

"Arrg! That does hurt!" Sam complained, feeling the pain he'd described

"What?"

"Uh, dude. I think you just gave your pain to Sam." Tucker spoke up.

"Weird. Remind me not to tough anyone when I'm in pain…"

**WELLTHATWASQUICK!OHVELL.**

_What if it works the other way too?_ He thought desperately, and grabbed his father's jump suited shoulders. _Come on…I'll take his pain instead! _He clenched his eyes shut, trying to draw the pain away from his Dad. It was like a solid object in his mind...he'd just grab it and he'd be fine. Just fine...

"Get your awful hands off of him!" she shouted, about to shove him away, but didn't get the chance too. He fell off himself, flat on his back, staring at the sky blankly.

"He's okay now…look" he grunted through sharp jabs of pain all throughout his torso. _Man, this does hurt! No wonder his heart stopped…and stayed stopped. This stupid energy kept it from working…_

Maddie obliged, and gasped in surprise as she was her husband's chest move slowly upward in a breathing motion. _Now I'm really confused…_

Danny struggled to his feet, stumbling over to his friends "I can't change back for a bit…got any ideas where to hide out?" he asked quietly, hoping to sneak away before his mom caught him again.

"We'll go to Tucks…hurry, let's go." Sam whispered, leading the way as Tucker ran after, and Danny flew slowly behind. The pain was intolerable, a constant jabbing pain like a white hot poker stabbing his insides that was showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. Just _peachy_.

Maddie didn't notice the trio make their escape, too busy trying to drag her snoring husband back to the house. _At least he sounds better_ She thought dryly, finally reaching her house, and propped her husband against the couch, collapsing into a near-by chair before it struck her. _Where did the two ghosts go?_

**LASTLINEBREAKFORTHISCHAPPIEPEOPLES!**

Vlad was still on the pavement, moaning softly. Daniel was more like him than he'd thought, unrelenting to a fault, but quite a bit stronger when he had motivation. But he didn't understand why his voice had been so different. So chilling and emotionless, not the boy's normal voice by a long shot. Then whose was it?

And now he had to wait for his stupid little minions to pick him up. How embarrassing.

**HA! I DIDN'T LEAVE A CLIFFIE! Or did I? –Insane laughter- I hope you liked this chappie, as I had a ton of fun writing it! Yay for insane Dannyness!**

**So I'm wanting to know, like it? Hate it? Fixed my comma problem? REVIEW!**

**And a side question, who's the **_**worst**_** villain on DP? I say Poindexter!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	11. Control

**A/N: Good news: I'm finished school for now. Bad news: Microsoft Word is giving me grief, and I'm going away for a week. With no computer xP So I forced myself to stop fooling around with my Wii and get this chapter DONE.**

**Thanks go to Shuricel, crocgirl2815, Songbird21, Fan-girls2.0, Karimlan di Sindihan, Anna Lee Gray, dizappearingirl, nidaluver, GlassTears, ghostanimal, WolfDaughter, RikuLuvr, The Shadow Girl, DX fanatic, FernClaw, Shining Zephyr, Devianta, Writer's-BlockDP, ChessPiece, Twilight-Phantom66, Invader Johnny, rika195, Quick-demon…and a blank anon review.**

**And of course, the infamous disclamer!**

**DISCLAMER: If you haven't figured out that I don't own Danny Phantom by now…you need help. NOW. **

**And now for a fore-warning. I don't like OC's very much, but unfortunately I can't see a way around this one. By about next chapter (or late this one) an OC must make an appearance. Not important in any way, but needed to shove this story forward. Sowwy.**

**Shade: Okay, that's enough useless blathering! On with the show already!**

**Control**

Pain. So much pain.

Danny moaned slightly, then winced. Even moaning hurt. He'd have to make a mental note of that. It wasn't like he was doing anything anyway. He just had to lie on one of the forgotten sleeping bags left in Tucker's attic, moving was too much of an effort, and he had to stay focused on staying in the ghost form. He wasn't quite ready to die due to massive pain. Tucker and Sam visited time to time, but they left him to do something downstairs after snapping at them for the millionth time. _Oh yea, this was a great idea. Save dad and suffer for it, all alone. Should of let him go. What? Where did THAT thought come from?_ The ghost-boy looked around rapidly with only his eyes, trying to spot a ghost or anything that could have forced him to think that. And saw nothing new. Just the ceiling, the floor, the other sleeping bag, and dust. Lots and lots of dust. Snore-worthy objects really, but they were the only things of interest in the dusty room. _If only I hadn't snapped at Sam and Tuck so much…they deserved it though, they're idiots._

"Gah! What's with this?" Danny suddenly yelled, before flinching again. "Ouch." He muttered, yet another thing to add to the list of stuff that hurts.

"Danny?" Tucker said, entering the attic slightly alarmed at his friend's shout.

"It's…nothing. I'm just thinking oddly." He attempted to cover it up; he didn't need his friends worrying too._ Some friends._ "Stop that!" the ghost growled at himself.

"Stop what?" Tucker looked at his friend, confused. "I'm not doing anything. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes Tuck, I'm fine. It's not like you'd understand anyway." He spoke, before realizing what he said. "Why did I say that? I didn't mean it Tuck, sorry."

His friend just looked at him oddly "I don't think you're okay Danny." He didn't let his friend know that he was slightly hurt from the afore-mentioned comment, but it didn't seem like he was saying it at all. As if he was having multi-persona problems or something.

"Tucker, I'm fine." He grumbled unconvincingly. _He's so damn nosy._ "Will you stop that!"

"I think I'll go find Sam…" Tucker said, backing out of his attic. Danny was scaring him too much to stay there by himself.

"Whatever." The hybrid grumbled, and crossed his arms. _Wait a second…that didn't hurt? Weird._

**ZEELINESAREBACK!BUHAHAHAHA!OHNOESTHEDWARVESARECOMIN!**

Jack stretched and yawned loudly before it struck him. _Am I dead?_ He wondered. All he could remember was that blue ghost hitting him with something that hurt so much he passed out. As he looked around he saw that he was lying on his couch, and he could pick up the smell of Maddie baking cookies. _Ohh, cookies._ He got up and barged into the kitchen, where the love of his life was staring blankly at a far wall, as if she was distracting herself. "Hey Madds!" he spoke with a large grin. Cookie-getting tactics…

"Jack? So…you're okay?" She was smiling, but crying at the same time "I was so worried that you we're dead! You weren't breathing or anything…and that awful Phantom did something to you…but I'm so glad you're okay!" she managed to hug her giant of a husband, overwhelmed with joy.

"Phantom did something?" Jack looked at his relived wife, she didn't really specify _what_ he'd done. Bad or good.

She thought for a moment before answering, releasing Jack from her embrace "Well, I'm not sure what he did…but you started breathing afterwards. But I wasn't sure if you were okay or not."

Jack smiled slightly, if Phantom was Danny, no doubt about it he was a good guy, not a villain "It doesn't really matter, I'm okay right? So how about some of those double chocolate snicker doodles…" he grinned broadly, and his wife sighed good-naturedly as she went to fetch some chocolate treats.

**SHEESHTHEY'REGETTINGTHESHORTENDOFTHESTICKTHISTIME**

"I don't get it. One second he's normal old Danny, and two second after he's insulting me!" Tucker explained to Sam, who frowned slightly at the news.

"Seriously? That doesn't sound like him at all…" Sam sighed, staring at the closed attic door. No more yells came from behind it, but the sound of someone wandering in circles was audible. "If we just find a ghost that doesn't want to tear Danny's guts out, we might be able to find out what's up."

"And he wasn't able to complain before, and now he's wandering around? It doesn't make any sense." He went on before answering Sam. "I have a feeling he wouldn't be too keen on that one" He rubbed his glasses nervously, not quite ready to confront Danny with Sam's plan

"Are you two finished talking behind my back?" Danny phased through the door and glared at the two friends for a split second before grinning at their freaked-out expressions "Sheesh guys, I was just kidding. I'm not going to eat you know!"

"I'm not quite sure about that" Sam said seriously, not bothering to explain. He must have heard her plan anyway.

"Oh come on guys! I'm sure it was just something brought on from the blast, I'm fine now. It doesn't even hurt that much anymore." He tried to convince his friends; the voice that kept thinking snide things went away soon after the pain did.

"Danny, this is just precaution! Do you know any ghosts at all that could help you figure things out?" Sam urged him to think.

The half-ghost sighed in defeat and thought for a moment, listing off possibilities. "Well, The Box Ghost is too lame to know anything, I won't go near Vlad with a fifty foot pole, and the Dairy King might not be fond of me after I got his castle smashed…if he's even around anymore anyway. I've got nothing."

"There's got to be someone!" Tucker wracked his brains of every ghost he'd seen, then grinned "What about Frostbite or Clockwork?"

"Clockwork can't 'interfere' and Frostbite doesn't seem to be the kind of guy to know about hearing weird things." Danny inserted air quotes when necessary, shooting down both ideas.

"It couldn't hurt to ask Clockwork, he might know someone who would know about that kind of stuff." Sam pointed out.

"Okay, fine. We'll go bother Clockwork…after I go home so Mom and Dad don't think 'Phantom' ran off with me." He grinned slightly at the irony, and sped out of the house via phasing through the wall, leaving the two friends behind.

"He can never say no to your ideas can he?" Tucker remarked, and got the reaction he wanted, a blush and flustered attempt to say they were only friends.

"It's because we're friends Tucker!"

"Danny and I are friends too…" he taunted.

Sam moaned, this was going to be a long hour.

**CANISTOPYET?NOOOOO!MUSTKEEPGOINGANDGOINGANDOHHHCAKE!**

"Mom? Dad?" Danny peeked from the doorframe of his house, looking for his parents.

"Danny?" Maddie looked up from the cookies that were baking due to her husband's request for more. And like good parents do, she went into full over-protective mode "Where were you? Your Father and I were worried sick!"

"I went after Phantom to see what he did to dad" he lied "I saw what happened through my window. Uhh, is he okay?"

"You're dad's fine, but you went after Phantom with no weapons or backup! What if he'd decided to get rid of you! Don't do things like that, okay?" she was too worried to drag out the big giant lecture of how all ghosts were evil little globs of ectoplasm (Which always made him grit his teeth so he wouldn't point out that he was part ghost.)

"Okay Mom. So Dad's okay, as in totally okay?" he asked again, wanting to double check that his crazy idea had worked.

"Yes hun, he's already up and about, eating cookies." She smiled at how much her son cared and watched as he left up to his room. Probably going to do his homework like a good boy.

"Was that Danny?" Jack asked through a mouth-full of cookie.

"Yes, he just came home. Apparently he went to look for Phantom by himself. But I don't think he'll do that again after what happened."

"Oh, I wanted to talk to him. Oh well, maybe later" he sat back out the couch and grabbed his latest needlepoint project, an image of a little green ghost carrying fudge. His own design don't cha know. He was so absorbed in working on it that he didn't notice Tucker and Sam enter the basement…with Phantom close behind.

**YOUWANTLONGERCHAPPIES?YOUGOTTEM!ARN'TYOUTHRILLED?**

"You sure you guys want to come along?" Danny frowned, glancing at the Specter Speeder. He could cover more ground by himself, and didn't have to stop and defend his friends either.

"We're your friends Danny, of course we're coming! Besides, without Tucker's PDA, you'd get lost." Sam pointed out mildly, entering the funny little craft that could fly through the Ghost Zone.

"We can still get lost. And you two guys can't escape human wants for as long as I can." He remembered Tucker always complaining that he was hungry on their trips, which got really old, really fast.

"We'll be fine. Now lets go before your parents see Phantom and pals stealing the Specter Speeder." She nodded to Tucker, who started up the vehicle, rearing to go.

Danny sighed, and led the way into the Ghost Zone with his friends close behind. Using Tucker's PDA, they traveled with few incidents. Apparently 'The Ghost Boys Rage' had spread through the Zone, and were rarely approached. When ghosts did come near, most flew off in terror once they saw Danny anyway, making it a peaceful trip…after Tucker stopped crashing into rocks anyway.

"Tucker! Take your eyes off the PDA and look out the window!" Sam yelled after smacking into another rock.

"But I need it to drive!" he complained

"If you don't look up once and awhile there won't be anything _to_ drive!"

Danny rolled his eyes at his friend's argument, keeping a lookout for any ghosts that got too cocky, but none did. Sheesh, he wasn't that scary. But he noticed the green castle of Clockworks, and stopped going forward "Guys, we found it. You can stop arguing about rocks now." He grinned slightly, and landed in front of it, making sure there was enough room for the Specter Speeder to land without squashing him.

"It's been awhile since we've been here" Sam commented, exiting first. "And next time, I drive."

"Sammmm" Tucker complained, he wasn't that bad of a driver, right?

"I'm going to go with Sam on this one Tuck." He grinned, but wasn't quite sure his parents wouldn't notice the dents.

"Fine. Let's stop making fun of my driving and see Clockwork already!" Tucker went towards the door…and tripped. Over a rock.

"You can't even avoid rocks on the ground!" Danny laughed, before helping his angry friend up

"It's not funny!"

"Oh yes, yes it was." Sam grinned, and reached the time ghost's front door first and entered without knocking, and the two boys soon followed

"It's not polite to barge into someone's house you know" Clockwork spoke, floating out of the shadows, but had a slight smile showing he wasn't too angry with the three visting.

"Sorry" the half-ghost apologized "Well, Sam, Tuck and I came here because…"

"You've been hearing odd things and saying things you don't mean. Yes I know. But, I cannot help you. That would be interfering. And as I said the last time you dropped by, I am not the ghost of miracle cures"

"Told you he couldn't help us." Danny muttered to Tucker, who fished five dollars out of his pocket and gave it to his half-ghost friend, muttering about how it wasn't fair.

"Ahh yes, I cannot help directly. I might be able to tell you of a ghost who could help you though" he grinned slightly at Tucker's happy dance, taking his $5 back from Danny, who was now fishing for $5 to give up.

"So who is it?" Sam asked, as she was the only one that wasn't distracted by a silly bet.

"An old friend of mine. He has a weird way of doing things, but knows it works" he glanced at Danny, making sure he was paying attention before continuing "Unfortunately, he's also the ghost of deception, so you must be weary. He wouldn't hurt you badly, but he's not above small pain-causing ideas."

"Great." Danny moaned sarcastically "So we can go find this guy and he should be able to help out?"

"Yes to everything but the 'we' part. He's not partial to humans, and I can't come with you, I'm too busy. But I can give you a map on how to get to his lair"

"Doesn't that mean he won't like me either? I'm half human…"

"According to him, he deems you interesting, he'd most likely be willing to help out" he sighed

"Sounds like he's talking about an animal." Danny grumbled, and took the map from Clockwork "You sure he won't tear me apart?"

"I'm certain" The time ghost spoke firmly, noticing the relief on Sam and Tucker's faces.

"Well thanks for helping us" Sam spoke up, walking to the door. "Coming you two?"

"I'll be there in a second!" Danny called, he had to ask Clockwork one more thing. "Umm, what's this ghost's name?"

"That's up to him to tell you"

"O…kay.." he looked puzzled, but sped out of the door after Sam honked the air horn on the Specter Speeder (So loud!)

**IT'SAMAZING!I'MSTILLGOING!AIN'TTHATASHOCKER?SERIOUSLY!**

"Okay guys, I'm going to go today before anything new happens" Danny told his two friends, who had been dropped outside courtesy of Phantom Phasing so they wouldn't be seen by his parents.

"Be careful okay?" Sam looked her friend in the eye, wanting him to promise.

"As careful as possible" he nodded, breaking eye contact.

"Don't get your head bashed in with your wonderful way with words dude!" Tucker grinned

"I'll remember that when I'm beating you a ATV Off-road Fury." He shot back with a grin, and zipped back into his house.

"Now lets see…Ghost Portal opener…Ghost Portal opener…there it is." He pulled his long while glove off and stuck his thumb onto the scanner, which caused the portal to open. (It's not like his thumbprint changed because of ectoplasm!) He failed to realize that it had been open just a minute before, which meant someone had closed it seconds ago. But none of this crossed his mind as he pulled the glove back on and neared the open portal…until he heard his mother's voice from the stairs.

"What are you doing in here Phantom!" she growled, causing the ghost to back up involuntarily

"I'm just going back home!" he edged towards the portal, his eyes flickering around to see how fast his mom could grab a weapon.

"Then go and don't come back!" she fired a small blast from the Fenton Lipstick over his head as a warning, and he took it, leaping into the Ghost Zone before she fired again.

Jack didn't do anything during the exchange, but was confused "I'm sure I closed that portal" he scratched his head. There was no way Phantom could have opened it without being part of the family. Score another point for the Phantom is Fenton theory!

"I don't trust him, let's go after him!" Maddie exclaimed, and didn't wait for a response before getting into the slightly battered Specter Speeder, and was ready to start it up.

Knowing he was going to be left behind, Jack hauled himself inside so he could come along. "Phantom could be faster then this" he muttered, before Maddie slammed onto the gas peddle, sending them rocketing after the ghost-boy.

Luckily for them, Phantom had stopped to pull out…a map? Why would he have a map? Maddie eased up on the throttle so he wouldn't notice them, and so they could hear him.

"This makes no sense…If I go this way I'll just come right back here! Well, Clockwork hasn't let me down before…" Phantom muttered, and flew off in the indicated direction.

"Why would a ghost need a map of the Ghost Zone?" Maddie wondered out loud, but kept on Phantom's tail, but it seemed idiotic. He was going in circles! After half an hour, Jack was snoring, and Phantom was _still_ going in circles! They were right back where they started…but there was one small difference. There was now a large gapping abyss sitting in the _middle of nowhere._

"Okay…It says go _into_ that thing? It's a bottomless pit!" Danny muttered, looking down it. "Well…" he took a deep breath, and flung himself headfirst down the abyss.

"Is he crazy?" Maddie shouted, waking her husband up

"What?" he asked sleepily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Phantom just dove into a bottomless pit! But we have to follow him!" she exclaimed, and the Specter Speeder mimicked the ghost's action and dove down wards into the pit. Jack gave a small scream of fear as the rocketed down and down, with only a small outline of Phantom to guide them.

"I've got to be crazy!" Danny shouted to himself. He kept falling and falling, unable to reverse his flight and turn the other way. After he'd decided he was just going to fall forever more, he found himself on solid ground, with an imposing set of double doors in front of him.

Not only was it stupid-huge it was a dark blue with a glittering gold snake design on both doors, both seemed ready to come to life and snap his small head off without even a thought. A black doorknob that seemed out of place with the whole thing seemed to be the only entrance. "Okay…I can do this." He muttered to himself, and pulled open the door to see….nothing.

"Okay…That's not right. Clockwork said he played tricks…so maybe." He shut the door and looked again at the closed door, and saw the left door's snake had a fang on it…but the other didn't. "Well, why not." He floated up to the second snake, and his idea was correct, the fang could be grabbed. So nervously he grabbed the fang and pulled back, opening the door once again. This time when it opened, he saw the interior to what looked like a really old mansion, complete with freaky statues.

"Not time to chicken out now…" Danny forced himself to enter the freaky house, and took a good look around. There were four statues, all of them creepy. There was one of an attacking raccoon, another of a snake poised to strike, and one of a sleeping…check that, a _dead_ fox. Freaky. But they weren't the weirdest. The last one was an odd mix of a human and a snake. With snakelike eyes and fangs and a long tail, he seemed imposing…and dangerous. Note to self, never meet that guy.

Meanwhile, the two ghost hunters also reached the freaky home after Phantom figured out the door, which was left open. The two peeked around the stupid-big doorframe to watch his progress, and saw something else move quickly, too quickly to be seen.

Danny felt the breeze, and looked around wildly, but there was nothing. He was about to continue searching the mansion for the ghost, but froze when a clawed ice-cold hand grabbed him, and a voice sinister hissed in his ear.

"Don't you know it'sss rude not to knock?"

**DUNNN DUNNN xD Youaresogonnagetmeforthat.**

**Shade: You have a death wish Phantom. You do! Crazy person…**

**Yep yep. But that's all you get this time! You got 8 ½ pages on word, so no complaining on length this time! ****I hope it wasn't too rushed… So it's review time!**

**Was it too much at once? Should this chapter be shorter and split into two or three instead of all at once? REVIEW!**

**-Phantom Shade (Random Question: Are you a fruitloop? Shade: That's a yes for you Phantom.)  
And a side side note, I'll give a prize to the 200th review, as that is a major milestone, yep yep. Things like art or getting to see a chapter before everyone else, or adding a plot twist to this (Like I don't have enough of those already!)**


	12. Knowledge

**Shade: Oh boy. Here we go again.**

**Silence! Yes yes, new chapter time. Now on with the show!**

**Knowledge**

Danny stiffened at the icy grip, feeling very unwelcome from the tone of the hissing voice. _Come on, be brave. I'll just explain why I'm here…_ He took a breath and turned his head to see…

No one. There wasn't anyone there, and the grip on his shoulder was gone. But something was off. After a quick double take, the ghost-boy noticed the difference. All four statues were gone. Even the freaky dead-fox one.

_Now that's just wrong._ "Is anyone there?" he asked carefully his eyes leaping from one place to another to find who had grabbed him, or at least the weird statues. But once again, he failed to spot anything.

"No, you're talking to an empty house." An exasperated voice sounded "Sssilly boy. Clockwork had the sense to _call ahead_. A thought that seems to be too hard to do for you."

"So you're the ghost Clockwork told me about?" Phantom fired off another question, just to be sure.

"Are you the hybrid that Clockwork told me about?" The ghost asked back

"Well you already said you recognized me." Danny pointed out, slightly aggravated. What was this? Twenty questions?

"And you found my lair with Clockwork'sss map. It's obvious who I am. But _you_ could be sssome clone that stole a map."

"Will you stop that?"

"Ssstop what?" the hidden ghost asked innocently

"Asking useless questions!" Danny nearly shouted

"Will you stop that? Sssounds like a more useless question then what I've been asking"

The hybrid gritted his teeth and tried to calm down. _Sheesh I'm already sick of this guy!_ "Okay it was a stupid question. There. Happy?"

"Quite" Out of the shadows stepped a ghost that looked almost the same as the odd statue Danny had seen before. Other then a different jacket, claws and longer fangs and tail he could have been the statue. For all he knew he was the statue.

"Now you sssee me Phantom. Happy?" he mimicked Danny's question with hand motions to match. Weirdo.

"No, not really. Clockwork told me to come here…" but he was cut off

"One, I know why you're here. Two, I don't really care. If you can't bother to at least knock before barging into my home, you can git. Ssshoo. Ssskidadel. Whatever you kids call it." With a dismissive wave of his tail he turned and walked away from the confused ghost-boy.

"Hey! I didn't come all this way for nothing!" Danny chased after the snake-like specter. He wasn't going to get the raw end of this deal!

"Well apparently you did." Not looking back he continued to walk away, at a slightly slower pace.

_Arrg! What is he waiting for? An apology? Well…_ "Okay okay, I'm sorry for coming in without asking. Can you at least try and help?"

"Bingo, we've got a winner!" He spun around quickly, grinning. Danny had to step backwards so he wouldn't crash into the older ghost. "Here's the deal kid. You've got _way_ more power than I do. But I could beat you senseless."

"How would you know that for sure if you've never fought me!"

"Sssimple. You have absolutely-" he struck with his long tail tripping the hybrid sending him crashing to the ground "no control."

"I can control my powers!" Danny growled indignantly, getting back up from the ground after his humiliating fall.

"Isss that a fact now? Then explain why when you fight you don't even use _five percent_ of your power?" he inquired, grinning.

Danny glared at him briefly before deciding the floor was very interesting and he should study it for a long time so he wouldn't have to try and explain. How could he explain something he didn't know anything about? But his Ghostly Wail always drained him… "How can that be true if I run out of power?"

"Because you aren't _using_ the other ninety five percent. If you were using all of it, you'd be laughing about how weak your 'ssstrongest' power is."

Danny looked doubtful, and crossed his arms. His face clearly spelt out 'prove it.'

"Oh boy. Now how to dumb it down for you…" he considered possible explanations for a moment before speaking again. "I know you're lousy at math but try and listen Phantom. You being a very high level ectoplasmic entity have at least ssseven times my power, but I have full control of my power compared to your…ssseverely lacking amount you use. In your current ssstate, I would win in a fight. If you were using even five percent more of the power you can use, you'd win hands down. But you aren't." he paused to let the younger ghost take it all in, and then plowed on. "And that's very bad for you Phantom. You enjoy being around others of your weaker side, but the nature of your ssstronger one is to terrorize. Don't interrupt, I checked." Danny had opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. "Due to the amount of ectoplasmic energy you don't use it can and will attack and kill many of your human features at an accelerated pace, over-throwing the fact that you are _technically_ still living. One of those being emotions. It happens to normal ghosts, but shouldn't affect the living. Even your hybrid foe never had this problem due to the fact that he has a lower power level than you AND can control most of his power."

"So I'm stronger then Plamius?" Danny was reeling from the information, but still had to ask that.

"If you used a bit more power, yes. Right now, no. As I was sssaying before you interrupted me, your ghost half isn't using enough energy, so it targets your human half as a foe. Which explains any odd thoughts or outbursts that have been happening. In short, your ghost half is taking your human half over. And it's all because you have no control!"

"Why didn't you just say that at the beginning and spared me the boring lecture?" he asked, and instantly regretted it.

"Because you need to understand the sssituation you ungrateful child!" He snarled, glaring at the hybrid with a look of pure scorn. "Clockwork knows I have a sshort temper…" he grumbled. "Okay Phantom. Clockwork told me how weak you are just I need to judge for myself."

"Umm. How? And why do you keep calling me Phantom?"

"It's your chosen name, and it would be rude if I called you your given name. Not all ghosts barge into other's lairs willy-nilly like you do. But a good example is Skulker. Next time you see him, call him Marty will you?"

"Why would I call him Marty?" Danny looked at the so called mentor oddly. It didn't really make sense.

"Because he hates it when you do that. He seems to forget that I helped him when he came to the Ghost Zone, and should be reminded." He grinned, making his fangs look longer then they did before. "Back on topic! Yes, I want to see how much power you use. Okay Phantom, attack me. If you manage to hit me once, I'll help you learn control. If you give up, well, you must not care enough about your problems to learn" he leaped backwards and settled into a battle stance. "Crashing into my tail doesn't count by the way."

"No problem" He felt confident he could hit him just once. Besides he said that he was a weaker ghost then him. No problem right?

Wrong. Danny started by flying as fast as he could muster to catch the snake-like ghost off guard, but was batted away and into a wall with little effort by the black tailed specter, who seemed amused with his attempt.

"You'll need to raise your game if you want to get me off guard Phantom!"

_Oh he's asking for it!_ Shoving off from the wall he faked a blow to the face and tried to kick the ghost in the legs. But once again he was foiled by the black snake tail. It was like a freaking wall! Always in the way! But he kept trying. And trying. But was always stopped short.

"You're weaker than expected. Let's try something a bit easier for you." The ghost dropped so that his hands were on the ground, standing like a four-legged animal. Danny thought it would be good to attack then, but before he could strike the ghost split into three different forms. A black snake on the left, a black furred fox on the right and a raccoon in the middle. "Catch us if you can!" the three cried as one, and zoomed off in different directions. The fox darted between Danny's legs while the snake slithered down the left corridor and the raccoon sped down the right corridor.

"That's no fair!" Phantom spun around, and chased after the fox ghost.

"It's fair! Hee heh! Let's see how quick you are!" the fox grinned, and then sat down on the ground, like he was waiting for Danny to strike first.

_Then why is he sitting still?_ Danny was puzzled momentarily, but decided to take the advantage and opened fire on the small fox. He grinned, sure he'd nailed the little ghost, but it quickly switched to a frown. The fox was now sitting far away from where he'd fired, yawning loudly.

"Not very would be the answer. Oh well. Try again!" the ghost taunted, and ran forward leaping into the air and kept running using Danny as an air bridge. How embarrassing. "If I were you I'd try and corner me!" he called over his furry shoulder as he continued to zip along the floor.

_How I suppose to corner something in a house I don't know! Or…_ The half-ghost grinned and instead of flying he ran after the fox until he was in sight. _Let's hope this works!_ He shut his eyes and quickly snapped them open, just in time to watch the black fur ball smack into a green wall. He fired a quick ecto-blast, finally scoring a hit. "Ha! I got you!"

"Very good Phantom! Now you have to catch the rest of me!"

"But you said if I hit you once?"

"Yes, you hit one third of me. Still got to get the other two!" the fox grinned and vanished from sight.

"Now that's just cheap!" Danny grumbled, but set off to find the others

**SHEESHTHATWASALONGTIMEWITHOUTLINEBREAKS0.oOHVELLSKEEPGOIN!**

Both Fentons had watched the two ghost's exchange, but Maddie was very confused. According to the larger ghost Phantom had come for help with control. Why would he want help with that? He seemed to be a formidable ghost already…unless he was planning something big! But that idea was squashed when the snake like ghost reveled that Phantom was only half-ghost. He was also half-human! A scientific impossibly, but Phantom didn't argue, but seemed to know about his half-ghost status and associated with humans. Did he mean Sam and Tucker? Or did he know more people then they thought? It seemed like he was trying to get control because of the humans he was around. Most of what the ghost said made sense…but was it true? No studies on the effect of ectoplasm over long periods of time had ever been done, so there wasn't any real proof behind what the ghost mentioned. But still…

Jack on the other hand didn't seem too surprised about finding out Phantom was not a full ghost at all. A freak among both ghosts and humans, but not unique. Apparently Phantom had a foe just like him. Very odd. All of it really leaned towards the idea that Danny was both Fenton and Phantom, and not evil at all. Well, not yet. He shuddered slightly at the idea that his son could become some evil monster because he wasn't torching buildings on a regular basis. Very eerie.

**PHANTOMSGOTTASTOPTHISQUICKLINEBREAKTHINGIT'SBADFORYOURHEALTH**

Danny rubbed his ankle flinching slightly. He'd caught the snake, but it had bit him several times before he managed grab it. And he still had to find that raccoon. He'd just have to hope it was weaker then the stupid snake. It should be right? The ghost was more snakelike then anything else, so it made sense.

"Come on Phantom! Don't make me wait all day long!" the raccoon called from behind the bitten ghost-boy, showing all his little sharp teeth. Nasty little flesh tearing teeth. Ick.

The hybrid narrowed his eyes and tried the tactic he'd tried with the fox, but he turned away in time and skidded underneath the younger ghost, smacking his foot with his sharp claws as he passed.

"Try something other then that Phantom! Unless you can't" he mocked, jumping onto Phantom's shoulder "Come on kiddo, I'm right here!" the raccoon whispered before biting his ear.

"Ow!" He attempted to grab his opponent's ringed tail, but just missed._ Come on focus! I got the fox with an ecto shield and ecto blast. I got the snake by waiting for him to strike and punching him. But how should I catch a raccoon? Box him in? Duh. Ice powers._ He watched the fanged raccoon's progress. It seemed very random. He'd go to the left then backwards and suddenly crawl up the walls to hang off the ceiling. No pattern at all! The half ghost attempted his plan, shooting ice on the floor, walls and ceilings. But the small animal didn't slip. His movements were slightly slower and over shot slightly, but not enough for a real advantage. His ecto-blasts wouldn't be fast enough at this range. He needed something big that could strike everywhere at once. He floated momentarily before smacking himself in the forehead, feeling stupid for not thinking of this before. Taking a deep breath he faced his opponent and unleashed a Ghostly Wail, slamming the raccoon into the green wall that he'd had formed earlier. His job finished he sunk to his knees, but managed to stay in ghost form. Quite an improvement from before.

"Good job Phantom" the battered raccoon smiled and the other two animals appeared beside it and fused back together into his natural state. "To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it. Which means I owe Clockwork a chair. Curses."

"So you'll help me?"

"I just did. But yes, I'll continue to help you. You have to work at it and bite your tongue. You may think something I tell you to do is pointless, but even if I may be the ghost of deceit, I don't waste peoples time" he kept one eye on Danny as he spoke, walking back to the main foyer with the hybrid close behind. "Some thingsss I do don't make sssence right away, but eventually you'll thank me for it."

Danny nodded, secretly wondering how weird things would get. If it came down to eating worms, he would probably question it.

"You know your way here now, so my lair won't be hidden to you anymore. That's why you had to fly in circles if you wanted to know. I want you to be here every other day after you've finished school. You have to learn fast if you want to remain sane."

The half-ghost paled at the thought and nodded fiercely. "What if something big comes up?"

"You'll be excused. It'ss your mind getting destroyed, not mine. And next time, will it kill you to knock?" he sighed, but his eyes were set on the door "Before you ask what my name is I'll tell you. I go by Shade. Better than your obvious name but if you dig deep enough it too means ghost. Ironic."

"So I just come back after tomorrow?"

"That'sss what I sssaid." Shade slapped his tail on the ground before turning the younger ghost "There is also a reason why every ghost chooses their name. It's so family members they had in life wouldn't be able to find them if they so desired. That's all I have to say. Run along now."

Danny nodded and started to leave "Well, thanks."

"You can say thank you by telling your parents to come out of hiding."

**-Ducks away- Heh hee. Cliffie of dooooooom. Why did I move that thanking thing down here? For a good reason. All people below (reviewers) have a much better chance of getting a prize when this story reaches 200 reviews. Vy? Because they reviewed even with the lure of a prize hanging out of reach. I'll probably get a dart board and chuck darts until I hit a name or something. Why? Because I can.**

**Thanks go to: Devianta, IscaPhantom, foxxhomyho21, TigerJulia, DPcrazy, Me-against-the-world, Invader Johnny, Thunderstorm101, fan-girls2.0, Em Phantom, OddBallBlue, Anna Lee Gray, Shadow Moss, Shining Zephyr, Twilight-Phantom66, Writer's-BlockDP, dizappearingirl, rika195 and two anonymous reviewers! You all motivate me to keep on trucking!**

**Please review!**

**-Phantom Shade**

**(I need to consider getting a beta as the next chapters should be longer giving me lots of chances to screw up my spelling or meaning or grammar. Just a hint.)**


	13. Confessions

**Yes I finally updated. Buuut I'm going away for two weeks. Sorry. Blame family trips.**

**Thanks go to: Devianta (Hit the nail on the head ), Thunderstom101, Ail Phantom, DPcrazy, Invader Johnny, fan-girls2.0, BRYGUYB16, OddBallBlue, miin hoshi, Twilight-Phantom66, Shadow Moss, IscaPhantom, dizappearingirl, Writer's-BlockDP, DP-shrine-in-closet-girl, Anna Lee Gray, rika195, Dannyphantomfreeek, Shining Zephyr and broken0dream. I'm glad that no one thought Shade was too perfect, I was terrified about that.**

**Shade: THEY GET IT! Now ssstart the chapter!**

**Slave driver…**

**Confessions**

All of the colour drained out of the half-ghost's face, eyes wide and somewhat frightened at what Shade had implied "What do you mean when you say my parents?" he asked, hoping the elder ghost was kidding.

"When I say parents I mean the two snoops that think I don't notice when people are hiding behind the ridiculously large door frame I have." He hissed, grinning slightly "Also known as ghost hunters Jack and Maddie Fenton, parents of Jazz Fenton and Danny Phantom."

At that, Maddie could stay silent no longer "What do you mean ghost! I do not have a ghost for a son!" She narrowed her eyes, trying to hide the fear. What if…

"Heh he. We have a parent in denial. Move to Egypt. Do not pass go, do not collect $200…" he rambled on, giving Danny some time to think.

"Maddie, I don't think he's lying" Jack said, attempting to make eye contact with his son, who seemed to like the floor again and wouldn't look up.

"But he has to be. Phantom is not our son. Danny is!" She spared a glance at the ghost she despised, not wanting to believe it. She wouldn't!

"The two are one and the same. Yep. A hybrid that lives with ecto-hating inventors. The irony isss just _amazing_." Shade grinned broadly, clearly showing his long fangs to the two hunters.

Danny mumbled something indecipherable wanting to give Shade a good kick for getting him in this mess.

Maddie was left with no argument that she could think of, but was fiercely tearing through all her theories so she could put up a reasonable argument and it took a good amount of time before she thought of something that would prove it for sure. "Prove it." She was sure that it was just a stupid plot to make them stop waging war with the so called half-ghost.

"Well, that's a bit blunt don't cha think? It'sss his choice you know. It's his power after all. But I'll help make this faster" Before the hunters could blink, the snake-like ghost was gone from sight, but a freezing cold hand clamped onto both Jack and Maddie's shoulders "Cold huh? Quite different than a human, hurmm? No ghost can fake temperature, even if they are covered in flamesss" the hands released them and Shade reappeared behind Phantom, still grinning. "Remember Phantom, I'm doing thisss for your own good." He hissed only to Danny, waiting to see his choice.

Danny sighed, looking at his parents. Maddie still seemed to be in a fit of rage, but Jack was smiling slightly and gave a small nod of encouragement to his only son. _Well, one out of two isn't bad._ Hoping that he'd made the right choice he shut his eyes and let the blue-white rings form around his middle to go their separate ways, returning him to his normal human state. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly at his parents.

Maddie was thunderstruck, and unable to do anything but gawk at her son, or a very convincing fake. Her mind rejected what was right in front of her. You can't be alive and dead at the same time! "Danny?" she asked cautiously hoping it wasn't true.

Danny nodded slightly, before getting a choking hug from his father "Dad, I…need AIR!" he gasped.

Jack quickly let go, still beaming at his son "Why didn't you tell us Danny-boy! It would have made life easier for you. But I'd kind of guessed because how you've been acting lately"

"Thought so." Danny muttered, now knowing why his dad kept warning him. He'd figured it out by himself. Impressive. "It's because…well, you're ghost hunters. Two and two make four." _It is four, right?_ He scratched his head briefly; he really needed better math skills. He spared a glance at his mother, who still wasn't doing anything, but seemed terrified beyond belief that her son could be a half ghost.

Shade watched with slight interest, but didn't approach the scared parent, but he looked a Jack for a moment, and spoke to only him "The only reason I told you about this is because you've done something to make Phantom's problem start. You need to fix it, so get your wife in gear!" Being able to throw voices was very fun indeed.

Jack's eyes widened slightly when he heard Shade's voice, but was surprised no one else reacted to it. It was like they didn't hear him or something. "Well, we should just go home and talk about this" he gently lead his wife back to the Specter Speeder, who still wasn't speaking.

"Yes, yes you should. Or plan a trip to Egypt…" Shade remarked dryly, watching the Fenton family leave. Danny was lagging behind, transforming back into Phantom as he went but was going at least. After they cleared the door he slammed the door shut with a quick sweep of his tail and sighed. "I hope you're right about this Clockwork…"

**WEEEEELLLLI'MLAZYYAYFORBREAKSOFLINESTHATICANMAKEBECAUSEIWANTTO.**

"Is Mom okay?" Danny finally asked when they finally arrived home. Maddie still didn't say a word, even though Jack and her son were actively chatting about ghost hunting techniques and new ghosts that have been springing up. Danny was glad that he didn't have to hide if from his Dad anymore…but Maddie was unresponsive and wouldn't speak to either her husband or her half-ghost child._ What is she thinking about anyway? It's not like I attacked her…_

"Oh, she'll be fine, I'm sure of it. I'll try and make her come around so you can go get some rest" Jack grinned, hoping that Maddie would come around. It wouldn't be pretty if there was a constant war in the house.

"Okay. Thanks for understanding Dad." He smiled slightly; perhaps it was for the best. Not bothering to go upstairs he opted to phase through the wall and fly off to get to his room.

"Was I dreaming all that?" Maddie mumbled, still not wanting to accept it.

"No Maddie. Danny really is the ghost-boy" Jack said gently, wishing there was some fudge around to munch on.

"But that means we've been hurting him…and he's dangerous too…" she muttered

"No! Danny's a good kid _and_ a good ghost. He wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose." He attempted to sway the conversation away from such thoughts.

"But…We need to help him and get rid of that dreadful ghost half so he won't be in danger anymore!"

Jack didn't respond right away, but shook his head "I don't think you could even if he wanted you to."

"Of course we could! It's not that hard I'm sure…" she sputtered

"Well he told me a story where he tried that and it didn't work out too well. The way he acted went to extremes. Apparently he wore a bed sheet to look more heroic" he laughed slightly.

"Bed sheet?" Maddie was skeptical, before remembering that she'd seen Phantom in a bed sheet a while back. "I think I'll just need to ask Jazz about some things…she always is hovering around her brother, so she'd notice something."

**WEEEEIT'SSSFRUITLOOPTIMEFRUITYFROOTLOOPTIMEEEEE**

Vlad moaned slightly, watching his television that was once again spying on the Fentons, and was very glad that he was a millionaire so he could buy fancy voice activated devices. He still wasn't in a good condition, but his mind was still working and he could still plot about what to do next. Attacking to kill Jack was suicidal with Danny around. That power he'd used was amazingly strong. _Too_ strong for him to take down alone, and he wasn't on the best terms with most ghosts. Furthermore, Jack and Maddie knew about their son's hybrid status, which wouldn't help…unless he could use it against young Daniel. Make them think he was too dangerous to have around and he'd come in to 'save' Daniel from a life alone. But how to go about such and endeavor? Perhaps get the meddling ghost hunter in red to mess around with his foe until he snapped like a twig? Possibilities, possibilities. He stopped his musing to look down at his meal that was untouched.

How many times did he have to tell his helpers that he didn't like Fruit Loops!

**MEPHICOULDN'TRESISTTHATUN!FWEEEEOHYESDIDYOUKNOWTHEFISHWALKAMONGUS?**

Danny jolted awake, his eyes flicking back and forth wearily. That dream again. It always showed up when he went to sleep. But he could never quite remember it. Sure, he knew bits and pieces. He was there in that weird green room, alone. And he'd just be alone until that voice showed up again, hissing to him that he was a ghost and should act a such, to stop fooling around with humans and that his parents didn't truly love him at all…that his friends were only using him…that Shade was trying to make him weaker, not stronger. And that Clockwork was an old fool. It was awful because he could always see a possibly of it being true. But the voice had to be lying. No one was like how that evil thing pictured them. And for the first time the voice took form. It was him, right down to the bandages he'd put over the snake bites. The only difference was a small scratch above his right eye. Having the voice even look like him made things so much worse. It was like he really thought those things. He'd really need to learn how to get better at control, or he wouldn't even be able to sleep for an instant. _But you know I'm right!_ And dark laughter filled his mind as he slumped to the ground.

**Duun Dunnn. Sorry this is a bit on the shorter side, but it was that or wait three weeks for an update xP**

**So did you like it? Hate it? Think I need to drop kick Shade for meantioning Egypt too much? REVIEW!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	14. Obliterated

**-Tosses fish into the air- It's a miracle! This little story of mine actually reached, then surpassed 200 reviews! I think I shall pass out with shock later after I'm done awarding random prizes. For people that don't care about prizes and junk…I suggest you use that little bar on the side of your screen to skip all this nonsense.**

**Rikuluvr is the winner of the 'Shade Smash Award' He's complaining that it was cold in Alaska and is threatening to kill you for giving me a way to get him leave me alone for a few minutes. But he's back. Already. But you might like…-Gets hand clamped over mouth-**

**Shade: Don't give things away! The 'I Hate Moving Yet I Still Review Award' goes to Shining Zephyr. You are one of two that really gets something xD You can request a chapter early that would come via Private Message, or something like that. Phantom will bug you about that later.**

**That's true Devianta is the winner of the 'What's with Egypt? Award' You also get a prize like Shining Zephyr, and I'll bug you about that later.**

**Shade: Invader Johnny gets the 'It's Dan Phantom! Award' Phantom's too busy laughing her head off at how many people think Dan, and is reading your Fanfic. Expect a review in your near future.**

**And everyone else gets a shiny button showing how awesome you are for helping this story reach 200 reviews. And yes I used the 'write things on a page and give awards method' I picked four names by shutting my eyes and stabbing names with a pencil, giving real prizes to the second and third name.**

**Shade: Time to shut up Phantom. Everyone who reviewed will be listed at the bottom of this chapter as we are taking up way too much space already up here. On with the show!**

**Obliterated **

Jazz, being Danny's ever so thoughtful sister stopped by her brother's door before leaving, to kindly remind him to get up. Minus the kindly part.

"Danny! Get up already!" She yelled through the half-ghost's bedroom door, getting irritated. He was going to be late!

"Jazzy pants?" Jack peeked up the stairs "Your brother left already. Something about avoiding Maddie until she comes around"

"Comes around to what?" she asked, confused. Danny actually getting out of bed of his own accord to go to school was unheard of. And fighting ghosts didn't count for of his own accord.

"That he's half-ghost" Jack said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "I thought you knew?"

"But howdidyou?" Jazz glanced around, hoping she wasn't the reason they found out, or Danny would never let her hear the end of it. Ever.

"Some odd ghost that seemed to like monopoly told us and then Danny showed us. And your mother is still holed up in her room for now. She mentioned talking to you later…" he finished and stepped back into the kitchen to finish his Fenton Toast.

Jazz stammered for a few more minutes, not sure if her father was just being silly. But a quick look at the wall clock reminded her why she'd been hollering at her brother's door. She had to go now!

Jack laughed slightly when his daughter sped out the door to get to school. Always the bright one she was. Just like Maddie.

**-SPINS-ITOOKTOOLONGTOGETTHISUPYEPYEPIHAVEAPOPSICLE!**

"So tell us what happened!" Sam pestered her friend as they walked to school, who'd for some reason, showed up early.

"Huh? Tell you about what? Oh. Right." Danny's head snapped back up, having nearly fallen asleep for the third time in a row. He should have just slept in like a normal person. _Some normal person. SHUT UP!_ "Nothing really. Met the ghost, he blathered about a ton of stuff, my parents found out that I'm Danny Phantom, I didn't eat this morning-" he got cut off

"Back up a second! Did you say your parents found out?"

"Unless I've been dreaming, yes that's what I said" he muttered irritably. _Idiots._

"Then what happened!" Tucker finally spoke up, thinking Danny wasn't really taking the discovery very seriously.

"Dad doesn't care, Mom's sulking and _you're_ bothering me." He said unkindly, quickening his pace so he was ahead of his friends.

"What's bugging him?" Tucker hissed to Sam, who nodded slightly. Neither of them saw any improvement from the day before. If anything, he was worse not even bothering to apologize for being a general pain in the rear.

"Danny! Slow down and at least tell us what the ghost 'blathered' about. You know we won't stop asking you until you tell us." Sam sped up so she caught up to the hybrid, giving a slight glare to prove her point.

"He went on and on about how I was too strong for my own good or something. Something about percents…or was it fractions? Apparently I have a ton of power that I'm not using so my ghost half is attacking my human half instead. On the plus side, I'm stronger than Vlad!" he added lamely, as if it would make a situation a bit better.

"But how is that possible?" Tucker asked, not seeing how his ghost energy could attack his human half.

"Don't ask me. I don't know how it works. Just that it's why that stupid voice won't shut up and go away." He grumbled; glad to see the school as it freed him from explaining until lunch time. It was hard to explain things that you didn't get in the first place!

Sam and Tucker exchanged quick glances of worry, knowing they'd have to keep an eye on Danny today. It would not be pretty if he started mouthing off to Mr. Lancer, or randomly yelled at himself in the middle of the halls. Today would be so much fun…

And the two were not disappointed. Before class even started they had to stop Danny from killing Dash after the jock had shoved the angry half-ghost into a locker, make up a story about Danny being in a play to explain the random outbursts and grab him before he walked through a wall just because he could. It was exhausting work but worth it. If Danny's secret came out now…They didn't even want to think about it. But of course, Tucker and Sam couldn't stop him from being a smart mouth.

"Mr. Fenton?" Mr. Lancer took attendance dryly, glancing at the teenager

"Unless you're talking about another Mr. Fenton it's obvious I'm here." The aforementioned student responded, rolling his eyes. He ignored the fact that his teacher looked like he was ready to give out detentions left and right.

"Think you're funny Mr. Fenton? Then you won't mind being _funny_ in detention" the balding teacher slapped a detention slip on Danny's desk before returning to his desk to finish taking attendance.

"Why did you do that?" Tucker whispered so Mr. Lancer wouldn't overhear.

"He deserved it" Danny answered shortly, prompting Sam to toss a pencil at him so he'd knock it off.

It was going to be a _very_ long day.

**LETSGETANOTHERLINEBREAKINHERE!SLOWLY…SLOWLYDON'TDROP-TOOLATE.**

While the teenagers had ehhem 'fun' at school, Jack was busy making a list of every weapon that he and Maddie could have possibly fired and hit their son with after his month hiatus from ghost fighting and honestly, he couldn't think of any. Maddie was better at this kind of job but she said she needed time alone to think for awhile which was understandable, even if it wasn't helpful. If that 'Shade' ghost was right, a weapon of theirs made his son's condition worse…so he had to figure out what it was to counteract whatever they messed up. But the large ghost hunter was still drawing a very frustrating blank. He tried to remember, as they weren't firing at him purposely then, so it made it harder to pin down. He knew the answer was in the corner of his mind, out of reach. So he'd have to narrow it down. Figuring that, Jack grinded his teeth. He really wasn't good at this sort if stuff. He needed Maddie desperately to figure out the whole puzzle. What made it so infuriating was the fact that he always had a bit of an idea, but the name slipped away every time. He needed to get some fudge, do a bit of relaxing needle point and then take another crack at it. Or just hope Maddie would come down soon.

Upstairs however, Maddie had no intention of coming down quite yet. The fact that Danny was Phantom was just too much right now with conflicting emotions. He utter dislike for Phantom but her love for her son made it hard for her to think of them as the same person. She also felt hurt that her son wouldn't tell them about such a traumatizing event. Didn't he trust them at all? Or was he scared of them? She wouldn't let something like being a ghost stop her from being his loving mother. Or would she? She recalled the frightening dream she'd had before with Danny with green eyes and how he'd clamed she'd killed him. Was that how he saw her? Or was that how she saw him? It was all too confusing. She disliked Phantom, but he was her son, so she loved him. Was that even possible? She'd still talk to Jazz, and get back to her normal self after she'd sorted herself out. But she didn't trust herself not to do something stupid while she was so confused. So the ghost hunter would wait.

**THEDRAMAOKAYTHATWASLAMENOWISHALLFINDAFISHANDMAKEFISHSTICKS**

"You know Danny, that twig didn't do anything to you" Sam remarked dryly after Danny had toasted the twig out of anger at Dash, anger at school, anger at Vlad, and anger at Mr. Lancer for giving him that boring detention. But at least it made him feel better.

"It could have" he joked slightly. He'd be fine one moment and an annoying imbecile the next and it was wearing thin.

"That twig is no Undergrowth" Tucker grinned, glad Danny was relatively sane for now. That way his parents wouldn't think he was evil when he got home

"It might not be but there _is_ a ghost around" the half-ghost sighed when the blue mist snaked out of his mouth. "You coming along?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course we're coming." Sam said, looking for the ghost that had set off Danny's ghost sense, but couldn't spot anything. Tucker also scanned the sky while Danny transformed into his ghost half, and promptly took off at a quick speed, forcing the friends to run to keep him in sight.

"I don't see anything…" Danny muttered, but didn't stop looking. The last time he'd ignored his ghost sense had made him wish he'd looked more thoroughly before giving up. It took an oddly long time, but he didn't mind. The voice didn't talk as much when he was flying, which was a relief for him.

"Are you sure it wasn't your mind playing tricks on you?" Tucker asked loudly so Danny could hear him.

"I'm sure."

"I think I found it!" Sam called, pointing to the west where a white tail slunk around the side of a building "Stupid snake ghost by the looks of it."

"Again?" Danny asked confused. Normally that ghost only showed up once and awhile, not two times in two weeks. "At least it'll be quick." He grumbled, speeding to where Sam had indicated. And lo behold, there was the white and green snake from when he'd been shot by a homing weapon. "Hey! Why don't you slither off?"

The snake had no reply but a threatening hiss and a lunge at the half-ghost, who cleanly dodged.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, letting loose with a quick volley of ecto-blasts, most hitting the serpentine target causing it to cause more property damage when it crashed into the building wall. The snake changed its strategy and fled towards the park, moving faster then expected, managing to hide among the trees before getting slammed to the ground by Danny's well aimed fist. But getting so close was foolish of him, for when the ghost attacked again it managed to strike on target, slamming the half-ghost into a tree. It didn't really hurt compared to many things, but the end of the snake's white tail had left a scratch over his right eye.

And the oh so helpful voice decided it was time to bother the half-ghost once again_ It hit you! Moron, strike back! MAKE IT PAY!_ And Danny _agreed. _

The snake didn't stand a ghost of a chance from the onslaught of ecto-blasts, making a visible crater where it had collided with the ground. And this time, it stayed down and didn't fight back, too injured to continue.

"Wow. That was a bit…much." Tucker remarked, glancing at his friend, who seemed deep in thought. "Hello? Going to capture it in the Thermos or what?"

Danny didn't reply, too busy staring at his handy work and trying to ignore the voice in his head. _There. Now it knows its pathetic place. But what's one less ghost around huh? I think that you should obliterate it. I don't even know what that means… Yes you do. All ghosts know about it. So do it._ Danny shook his head, not wanting to listen to himself any longer. No not himself. It was the voice talking not him. Besides the snake was already down, no need to overkill. Just grab it in the Thermos and go along with his day. _You know that you can. Or are you weak! Stop talking! Go bother someone else! But aren't you curious about it? No. Liar. _While he was engaged with fighting in his mind, the snake seemed to have recovered slightly and was inching away from the ghost who'd beaten him so easily.

But the half-ghost noticed the action even in his slightly dazed state "Oh no you don't!" he started to gather energy for a quick ectoblast, but it felt different. Sparing a glance at his hands, he didn't notice anything different or out of place. Just his normal green energy waiting to be fired. So he fired and instantly realized that even though it had looked normal it definitely was not.

For one thing it was larger than anticipated, with a long blue streak wrapping around it. And even though Danny couldn't see it from his angle, his friends noticed the red jagged lines scattered on the front side. But its looks weren't the oddest thing. When it connected with the white and green ghost it didn't move or struggle when the blast tore through it like a cannonball through paper. The ghost didn't hiss or squirm and no ectoplasm leaked out from either half, but it started to fade as if someone decided that it would be fun to use a giant eraser on it. It was eerie to watch at first but absolutely awful to even glance at after the snake decided it was okay to shriek in pain now. It fixed one large eye on the half-ghost with a look of utter hatred and let loose a screeching snarl that no snake could possibly make, and then finally faded completely away.

"What was THAT?!" Both Tucker and Sam exclaimed, looking at their friend who looked ill.

"I don't know." He shuddered, knowing that scream would be stuck permanently in his memory now. "I don't even know how I did that…" _Yes you do. Not listening! _

"That's not good you know." Sam muttered

"Should we do some internet trawling?" Tucker suggested, thoroughly freaked out from the display.

"I guess so. But let's keep this between us. I don't think that snake will be telling anyone anything now…" he muttered, ashamed of what had happened. _You did that! No. You did._

**LETSGOTOSOMEWHEREWHERETHESUNISALWAYSSHININGANDTHEAIRSMELLSLIKEWARMROOTBEERANDTHETOWELSAREOHSOFLUFFY!**

"I'm home!" Jazz called from the front door, not surprised Danny wasn't home yet. Probably playing Doomed again with Sam and Tucker.

"Hi Jazz." Jack called from the kitchen, resuming the work he'd started his morning "By the way, your Mom wants to speak with you."

"Okay Dad." She paused when she saw her Father working on something "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find out what weapon might have made Danny's problem worse" he mumbled

"What problem?" Jazz waited for a few moments before realizing her Dad wasn't going to answer "If you mean that he's half-ghost, he likes it that way!"

"That's not it Jazz. Don't worry about that, worry about getting Maddie out from downstairs before I'm stuck cooking dinner." He joked slightly.

Jazz blanched at the thought of her Dad making dinner and fled upstairs to get her Mom downstairs. When she came to the door of her Mom and Dad's room she knocked.

"Who is it?" Maddie mumbled from inside.

"It's me, Jazz." She opened the door to see her mother sitting on the bed, staring at nothing.

"Hi honey. I just need you to explain some things to me about… about your brother" the ghost hunter stopped staring to look at her eldest child.

"Like what?" Jazz sat beside her Mom so they could talk longer if it was needed.

"Like why Danny didn't tell us about being a half ghost. Doesn't he trust us at all?" her fears came spilling from her mouth, but felt silly that her daughter was the one that was going to comfort her, and not the other way around.

"He trusts you Mom, don't worry. He was just scared. You know, He's a ghost, you're a ghost hunter. I know, it's a silly fear but he still had it. He's weird like that." She attempted to put a stop to her mom's fears so that they go back to being a happy family.

"But it's not a bad fear. We were shooting at him!" Maddie felt a hard pang of guilt from hurting and even hating her own son "Is it bad that I hated him so much? I don't see how he could forgive me for that"

"He never really minded. He knew the only reason that you hated him was because you didn't know any better. 'They're only doing their jobs' is what he told me after I asked him the same thing about you two."

"Are you sure?" she asked timidly, hoping but not hoping too much.

"I'm certain." Jazz smiled, and gave her mom a quick hug. "We both love you, so don't worry about silly things in the past. What I need to worry about is Dad making dinner for us!"

"I'll relive him of kitchen duty." Maddie smiled for the first time all day. "Do you think Danny's home?"

"No. I'm pretty sure he's off hanging with his friends. He _is_ a teenager!" Jazz felt much better now that it seemed that her mom would be fine, and she wouldn't have to put out a fire when her dad attempted to cook. Things were looking up.

Or were they?

**Dun dun. Yep that's the chapter with a not total cliffe.  
****Sorta.  
****Not really.**

**Anyway thanks go out to: Shadow Moss, dizapperingirl, crocgirl2815, Devianta, Invader Johnny, Karimlan di Shindihan, Thunderstorm101, RikuLuvr, paulinaph, FernClaw, mystery Writer5775, broken0dream, BRYGUYB16, Twilight-Phantom66, Shining Zephyr, Lindsey, TexasDreamer01, and AvatarKatara. You're all great people.**

**And remember, I enjoy reading reviews. It fills me with glee. So I'll update before it's three stupid weeks.**

**Shade: You call that rhyming? Sad…**

**-Phantom Shade**


	15. Fury

**Oops. Life kept me from my writing duties again.**

**Shade: So stop typing Author's Notes and keep working on the story!**

**Stupid muse, I have to thank the reviewing people first! Thanks go to Annab3ll3 L33, dizappearingirl, Luiz4200, Sailor Nuke, mystery writer5775, Invader Johnny, TexasDreamer01, Data-Dog (That's right!), babydragon11, Thunderstorm101, RikuLuvr (Shade wishes you to bother OC Shade instead of him. Something about getting frostbite again.), AvatarKatara38, Shadow Moss (I think I'll get around to fixing those mistakes. She was upstairs x.X), FantomoDrako, nerv, WolfDaughter, Shining Zephyr, and Devianta.**

**Fury**

"Well none of this is helping at all." Tucker sighed, shutting another internet browser disgusted that the maker of the webpage called themselves ghost experts, but had a page filled with idiotic ideas with some making absolutely no sense. It was quite obvious the person had never actually seen a ghost.

"That moron thinks he's seen a ghost in some old hotel? Claiming that it gave out a malignant aura with the obvious intention to cause pain? Ghosts don't warn people off if they mean to cause pain. Blast first, ask questions never." Danny snorted, but was silently glad that he and his friends had found nothing about what had happened to the ghost snake. A _former__ pain in the rear. Will you shut it! _

Sam grimaced at how easily Danny called most ghosts as mindless evil beings, hoping he wasn't also referring to himself as such. "Are you sure you have no idea what that giant ecto-blast thing was? Its colour isn't really helping us find anything." She asked. It was true they found pages that seemed rather accurate with many powers a ghost can possess listed, but none had a name for what Danny had fired a few hours before. And scattered between the sites that didn't really help but were mostly accurate there were pages that about ghosts that just leaked 'I have no clue what the heck I'm talking about!' It was immensely frustrating not knowing the name or what the freakishly devastating ecto-blast had done.

"I'm sure Sam. I have no idea what I fired or how I fired it." Danny lied between his teeth. The voice called it 'Obliteration' and it didn't sound good for anyone on the receiving end. _I'm not a voice. I'm you._ The aforementioned voice corrected._ No you aren't!_

"Well we haven't found anything useful. I guess it's not a normal power then" Tucker commented as he once again set Google looking for the attack his half-ghost friend had unleashed with the addition of 'Unusual' to the key words of the search. "This one looks like absolute rubbish. I type in unusual and this thing pops up saying every ghost has this power. Google must be messed up today." He grumbled to his friends, not bothering to read the rest of the describing mini sentence underneath the link to the website.

At that remark the hybrid stiffened and his feet shuffled anxiously. The voice said that every ghost knew of the power he'd used. It sounded rather accurate and even though he had a suspicion of what the attack had done, he didn't want to be sure that it was a truly evil power. _Evil? No. It's not evil. It's helpful and rids the Ghost Zone of unwanted pests. _

"Oh come on Tucker. It can't be worse than Sir Fluffums Pink Ghosties Club." Sam grimaced at the mentioned website. The pink had scaled all three teenagers' eyes and it was useless claptrap to boot. She reached forward and double clicked the link, sending the browser to the site. After the annoying loading was finished Tucker took back his mouse from Sam and scrolled through the site at a rapid pace.

"Types of Ghosts, Ways of Creation, Types of Powers, Effective Ghost Weapons…" the techno geek listed off titles from the black and green sidebar and quickly backtracked when he realized that Types of Powers was what they were looking for in the first place and fumbled with the mouse to click on the title, transporting them to another section of the site. The three information trawlers were amazed (Or if you were a certain half ghost, slightly squeamish) at the rock solid descriptions and even some pictures of what ecto blasts looked like. It included pictures of a ghost performing duplication, shape shifting and the oddest, and a picture of what a ghost sense could look like drawn by the owner of the site. It even hinted that ghosts with a ghost sense could also use ice powers. Who was this guy? Must live in Amity Park or something… Even then some things just seemed _too_ accurate. While Tucker and Danny contemplated how odd that anything could be this perfect, Sam read on. After speed reading for about half a minute she poked both Danny and Tucker out of their thoughts.

"I think you two should read this" she sounded slightly fearful as she read more closely under the heading 'Death Strike' or 'Obliteration'. Tucker began to read, but Danny didn't. He didn't want to know about it. Sam and Tucker would tell him what it was anyway.

_Scared of the truth?_ Danny grimaced at the obnoxious voice and brought himself to read the paragraph, just to show that stupid voice in his head that it knew nothing.

**The Death Strike (Also called Obliteration) is an attack that all ghosts are able to perform like some sort of programmed instinct, but few know about it. Benevolent ghosts that stumble upon this knowledge (Through word of mouth or other means) find it awful and never think about it again unless in an existence threatening matter. Ghost with violent inclination often find out about the power by themselves, and proceed to use it on anything that it deems a nuisance.**

**A ghost that wishes to completely destroy another of its kind can employ this technique with relative ease if they truly wish to use it. It is impossible for a normal ghost to unleash this move by mistake. An oddly powerful entity with weak control prowess may use it by mistake but even then they must be thinking about it (A mark of an evil ghost)  
****When used by a ghost that wishes to destroy utterly, it will attack with its regular mode of causing damage (Ecto-Blasts, physical power attacks etc.) with slight alterations. (Change of colour, size etc.) Upon contact it will annihilate the attacked ghost, leaving no trace, not even ectoplasm that would be lost upon impact. The attacked ghost often stays silent until the last moments of its existence, where it could begin shriek it's hatred at its murder before fading away forever.  
****An 'evil' ghost will employ this move even when it's already won a fight, just to cause terror among others of its kind. It may also use the move on random ghosts it just doesn't like. Only the strongest and most evil ghost would use this move regularly as other ghosts would often try and rise up against it to get rid of the menace.  
****A 'good' ghost would only use the move if it had no other option and still had strength to pull it off (i.e. against an aforementioned ghost)**

**Many ghosts that know about it regard Obliteration as a disgusting and unnecessary move to use as arguments or combat can be solved/finished without getting rid of a ghost for good.**

**In a quick summary, The Death Strike is a devastating attack that can be regarded as a move used by only the strongest and darkest ghosts.**

**Note: I have not found out the effect this move would have on us (Humans), as an evil ghost wouldn't need to bother with a high energy attack to dispose of us for good. But I'm guessing it wouldn't be pretty.**

Danny finished reading and found his friends staring at him with a mix of shock and fear. This did not bode well. "Well he could be wrong about a mistake being an indication of evil." He suggested lamely, not even convincing himself.

"Danny, this is serious! If this is right, and it's been right about everything else we already know as fact, we all might be in real trouble!" Sam exclaimed "How often is this so called helper going to help you? If you can't solve your power problem…" she left her sentence hanging unwilling to continue.

"So you think I'm just going to become some evil psycho overnight? You know I won't let that happen!" he growled, hurt. So Sam thought he could become like the ghost he'd sworn never to become huh? _Some friend she is._ And Danny did not think back his regular SHUT UP, but silently agreed.

"That's not it dude. We just want to make sure you don't do something that you'll feel awful about later." Tucker supplied, not helping in the slightest.

"So you think I'm going to finish any ghost that comes my way? You think I'm just going to go on some mad killing spree?" the half-ghost's eyes flared a warning green, infuriated. How could they think things like that! "Can't trust me because I'm half-ghost! Which is something _you_ caused Sam!" He took a breath to growl out his extreme annoyance at Tucker this time but was stopped by Tucker's mother entering the room.

"Is everything okay up here? I heard loud voices." She asked not noticing that Danny's eyes had changed from blue to green. She did notice that both Sam and Tucker looked slightly frightened while Danny's expression screamed anger.

"Don't worry Mom. We're fine. Just had a friendly fight" Tucker grinned, but kept one eye on his friend.

Danny looked anything but friendly at the moment, but trusted her son "Okay. Just had to make sure with all the ghosts that run around. And we'll have dinner soon" She left Tuckers room, and heard someone laughing dryly at her words.

"Your Mom's right Tuck. Watch out for the ghost that's under your roof." He stopped laughing and glared at his friends. "He just might be evil." He took quick steps towards the door, and didn't look back.

"You know we don't think you're evil!" Sam blurted out in an effort to make him stay, but he merely scoffed.

"Sure you don't. I'm out of here." With that Danny exited the room and judging by the sound of a slamming front door, left.

"He's getting worse" Tucker muttered "We need him to tell us what's going on. He said he's got too much power to control, but what is he doing to stop it?"

"I want to know that too. Hopefully he'll be in a better mood later." Sam sighed; slightly hurt by some of Danny's comments. Reminding her that she was the reason that he was a half-ghost now really stung.

**WHYISALLTHISHAPENING?ONLYISHALLKNOWTHAT!BUHAHAHAHA!!**

Maddie looked up from her book on ghosts when she heard the front door getting violently slammed shut "Danny? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. She hoped that her behavior towards him last night wasn't the reason that he was so furious.

"Nothing you'd care about ghost hunter." Danny growled, making his way towards the stairs to his room.

Puzzled by his sudden change of behavior (He was fine talking to Jack yesterday and made movements to talk to her too) she cut him off from the stairs "Danny, you know that I love you and I want to know what's wrong."

"Hah! That's what you all say." He scoffed and got around the roadblock by simply phasing through her.

She reacted quickly and grabbed his wrist gently but firmly "What do mean 'you all?'" she was worried that something awful had happened to him.

"You, Dad, Sam, Tucker. And don't touch me!" his eyes blazed green once again.

Maddie let go out of shock as her son's arm had suddenly become frigid and unwelcoming to the touch. He the used the surprise to flee to his room, leaving Maddie stunned at the bottom of the stairs. _What if Jazz was wrong and he is evil?_ She thought fearfully. His attitude towards her had done a full 360 within a day! But why now? Why not when he'd first became a half ghost? It didn't make any sense at all. Thoroughly confused the female ghost hunter returned to the couch and stared into space until she heard a sibling feud erupt.

"What is wrong with you!" Jazz yelled with slight shock.

"That's what I should be asking you, you idiotic snoop!" Danny raged back.

"I'm TRYING to help!"

"Then go help some _normal_ people and leave me ALONE!"

"You aren't any different to me! You're a person just like everyone else!" Jazz shot back, but seemed to be faltering in the yelling match.

"Oh really?" Danny asked, no longer shouting. "Have you ever seen-" Maddie couldn't hear the rest of her son's sentence as he'd switched to whispering. Shortly after there was the sound of someone falling over.

"You're pulling my leg." Jazz gasped, sounding fearful.

"Do I sound like I'm joking?" And he didn't. He sounded ashamed. "I'm going to sleep…"

"Without dinner?" Jazz quickly reverted to concerned sister mode.

"Not hungry." He muttered slamming yet another helpless door.

Maddie sighed from downstairs. Danny was just so distant lately. How hadn't she noticed before? And the mood swings! How long had that been going on? She really needed to sit down with him and find out what was really wrong.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Jazz avoided any talk of her brother, Maddie had nothing to say and Danny flat out refused to come down. Jack attempted to make conversation but no one seemed like talking for more than one sentence. He decided to take one more stab at conversation with his wife as Jazz had already finished and retreated upstairs.

"Do we have a list of weapons made last month?"

"No. Lost it when the lab was trashed" she muttered "Why?"

"Well I'm just trying to find out what weapon we might have shot Danny with this month." Jack mumbled

"Why?" She asked, slightly interested.

Jack quickly explained what he'd been doing all day, working on the word of a ghost that they had something to do with Danny's power problem. Might not be reliable sure, but it was better than nothing. "I'm thinking if we find out what it was, we could reverse any ill effects it had on Danny." If the damage could be caused by a weapon it should be reversible right?

Maddie nodded and yawned, suddenly tired even though it really wasn't that late. "We can try and figure it out tomorrow. I'm going to sleep now so I can work all day tomorrow"

Jack nodded but didn't follow his wife up the steps. Instead he went to the couch and dug around for his needlepoint. Finding it, he started to work. He enjoyed it and wasn't tired enough to sleep yet so this was a fun alternative. Glancing at the staircase and hoped everyone was having a good restful sleep without nightmares. (Or for Jazz, a good study session.)

But hoping doesn't really do much does it?

**IT'SLINEBREAKTIME!YAHOO!GOOGLE!ASKJEEVES!YAYINTERNET!**

Maddie felt very confused as she glanced around at an area looking very much like the Ghost Zone. Just seconds before she'd been dreaming about a giant cookie dancing the hokey-pokey. Odd, but a nice change from the nightmares that had stalked her lately. Had she woken up? But that idea was smashed when she looked down from the rock she was standing on and saw Danny. Correction. _Two_ Danny's. They were facing each other. The one on the left was smirking slightly and the one on the right looked angry and slightly sick. They (He?) seemed to be arguing.

"Oh please. You enjoyed watching that pain get Obliterated" The one on the left spoke.

"I did not! You did! Not me! I'm not like you at all…" the one on the right seemed to be faltering with his argument.

"Don't be an idiot. You can see me correct? And you've seen yourself. We are the same person. Just because you have issues about being what you are doesn't make me any less you." The one on the left continued the conversation calmly, as if he found this fun.

"You're lying!" he flustered. Attempting to show he was different he quickly switched to his ghost form, but the one on the left had changed at the exact same millisecond. The flustered and scared Danny kept switching from human to ghost, but the calm one mirrored him exactly.

"You can't be different than me. We are not two separate people. We are the same!" he grinned darkly when the Danny across from him settled on his ghost form.

"No we AREN'T! You're the only one that thinks those things about my friends and family!"

"That's what you think deeper down. I'm telling you-" the Phantom on the left side stopped talking. "I feel something. It's not us. Someone must have found a way to break into your mind." He looked around rapidly.

Maddie attempted to hide, but there really wasn't anything to hide behind. Eventually Phantom spotted her.

"Oh there's our little intruder. Don't you know infatuating dreams for no reason is rude?" he asked.

The Danny who hadn't searched quickly looked up and also spotted the ghost hunter "Mom! How did you? Never mind! Run! He's evil!"

"If I'm evil so are you." The other one shot back before fixing his gaze on Maddie. "Came here to scare me day in and day out huh? Kind of low of you." He left the grey rock that both Phantoms had been standing on and streaked towards the rock she was stranded on. It seemed that her son on the right side was straining to stay on the rock and away from his mother, but was dragged along with his darker copy.

"Mom! Wake up or something but don't stay here!" he attempted to warn his mom of the voice's evil idea, but she couldn't move.

"I'm not scared of you." Maddie stood her ground and glared the darker half-ghost in the eye.

"You aren't?" he sounded surprised, but went back to his calm voice immediately after "Well then." He paused to laugh slightly. "You should be." And before the other Danny could tackle himself he fired an ecto-blast point blank at his mother.

**LETSGUESSWHATHAPPENED!TUNATOOKOVER?THESKYISFALLING?**

Maddie sat up in pure fear and took several minutes to relax. It was just a nightmare. She didn't really get attacked. It was all in her head. She glanced beside her and saw Jack snoring on, oblivious to his wife's sudden movement. _That's good. I don't want to worry him…_ Well she wasn't going to get back to sleep right way, so she silently exited the bedroom so she could grab something out of the fridge but stopped outside her son's room, hearing him talking. Apparently he was awake too. _Well I am his mother._ She thought before pressing an ear to the door.

"You idiot! That's my MOM you attacked! She was in the way numbskull. It was all for the best. Too bad you woke up before I could cause any lasting damage."

Maddie wondered why Danny was arguing to himself. It reminded her clearly of the nightmare. The second time he'd spoken he'd mentioned the dream too. So she was in Danny's dream? And that second Danny existed?

"Lasting damage! You're sick! Leave my family ALONE!" he sounded furious with…himself? "Our family. You still don't get it." He replied to himself in that annoyingly calm voice from before.

Maddie decided to find out was really happening and entered the room "Danny honey, why are you yelling at yourself and then answering?" she asked concerned.

"I'm talking back to myself?" Danny's eyes widened in shock. "I thought he was only talking in my head…" Apparently he hadn't noticed that he was indeed answering himself, complete with annoyingly calm voice. "Well aren't you a little idiot not even noticing- SHUT UP!" the half-ghost's eyes took on a slightly insane look, which was disturbing to see. "I'm fine really…" _Sure you are._ The voice mocked, reverting back to only speaking in Danny's head.

"You don't seem fine hun. Can you just tell me what wrong?"

"Well…" he started but was cut off by a blue mist escaping his lips. "Uh later okay? Ghost trouble." And without waiting for an answer he changed to his ghost form and flew through the wall.

Maddie sighed, even though the sudden transformation had freaked her out for a moment. She didn't think she'd ever get used to seeing her son turn into a ghost whenever he felt like it. She wanted to grab some ghost weapons and go help but the last time that happened she'd shot him instead. Shaking her head she returned to the bedroom and attempted to sleep.

**MADDIEYOUSHOULDN'TDISSMISSYOURTHOUGHTSSOFAST!BEWARE!**

Danny stumbled from his room after Jazz had hollered for him fifteen minutes before, noticing he'd be late if he didn't move it. Like he didn't have enough problems already. Not bothering to grab breakfast, he didn't notice that he was alone in the house. Reaching the front door he ran through the doorframe and crashed into a solid wall. "What was that?" he grumbled and this time looked through the door. "Ghost Shield. Duh. Dad! Can you turn off this stupid thing?" he called and met no response. Backtracking to the kitchen he spotted a note on the table. Both Jack and Maddie had left for the day, Jazz was already at school…and he'd busted the ghost shield activation/deactivation switch in the lab last week. Just peachy. Now how was he going to get out? _The Ghost Zone's an option but kind of a stupid way to get to school…But it's all I've got._ After opening the Ghost Portal however, he had serious doubts. "I can't believe I'm going to risk my life to go to SCHOOL! I don't think Mr. Lancer would buy my 'I was trapped by a Ghost Shield' excuse though." The half-ghost grumbled quietly to himself. He could take the day off… _What's the worse that could happen? Well let's see. I could get pulverized by random ghosts, not be able to get out when I get to Vlad's, get caught by Vlad…This thinking thing isn't helping at all._ He thought, also noting that the voice was being rather silent right now. Weird… "Okay Fenton. It's no big deal. Go in, get out, suffer in school and go home. And hope that Jazz has a way to shut of the Ghost Shield by the time I get home." He attempted to assure himself that he'd be fine. Still filled with thoughts saying 'I'm an idiot' he transformed into his ghost form and shot through the green swirling portal.

"Okay. I've still got my backpack; the Fenton Portal is still open if I need to run fast. I'll be fine…" Phantom muttered as he flew to where Vlad's ugly painting Ghost Portal was…on the far side of the Ghost Zone. He'd forgotten about that. Oops. _This could be a long trip._ He looked out for landmarks as he sped along the green dimension. Lots and lots of rocks, Skulker's lair, the big rip in the middle of nowhere that was Shade's lair...wait a second! Danny looked back quickly, sure that he'd seen eyes glaring at him from the rift in the Ghost Zone. But there was nothing now.

Because the eyes (and the ghost they were attached to) had moved. Danny felt something drop onto his shoulder and quick spun around to see a large green and white fox glaring down at him with blazing red snake eyes. (Why did it feel like he'd seen this guy before?) Apparently it had come to avenge its white and green snake pal.

"This isn't good."

**Daa da DA. Okay it's not that evil compared to some things I could write instead. But it's still a bit of a cliffie!  
Shade: You have a death wish Phantom. A DEATH WISH! –Slams head-**

**I love reviews! And I'll really need um so I can burn through other duties to work some more on this. Curse you school!  
And this is my longest ever chapter. I hope it wasn't too long...**

**-Phantom Shade**


	16. Flames

**I apologize for this taking far too long x.X Life had to be attended to and I didn't have much time for Fanfic writing. Thanks are at the bottom of the chapter. That's all I will say.**

**Flames **

"Nice foxy…" Danny murmured, retreating slowly. He didn't want a fight right now. He just wanted to get out so he could bore himself in school. Was that so bad?_ Oh come on. This stupid ghost isn't even a whole ghost. Just some leftover fragments…_ "Shut it…" he muttered to himself, continuing his retreat.

The ghost however, had other plans. Apparently the large fox didn't like seeing the half-ghost retreat and quickly lunged to stop him from getting away, missing by mere inches. Danny could hear the wind as it rushed past him, making him aware that this was not going to be a simple fight.

_Getting rammed would hurt. So don't get hit idiot._ The voice voiced its unwanted opinion, causing Danny to roll his eyes. That much was obvious even to him. He let loose two quick ecto-blasts, both missing the white and green target with what looked like meters. In response, it charged again and shot right over the half-ghost's head. "That's it? OW!" The fox had kicked him hard as it passed overhead. It seemed familiar…

"Ha! You aren't so --! I'll -- you -- what -- did!" it snarled to Danny's surprise, not knowing it could talk. Not very well but it _was_ speaking and making threats. Wonderful, a fox with attitude was just what he needed in the morning.

"What did I do again?" the half-ghost asked, slightly confused. It's not like the snake ghost was purposely the same colour as the fox. Just an odd coincidence. _Right…And I am the President too. That's not funny!_

"You -- what you --! You-- him!" it was impossible to make out half of what the ghost was snarling, it was too garbled by the underlying growl.

"I didn't really get that." Danny grinned before firing off another ecto-blast, this time hitting the furry target. It somersaulted backwards violently, fur smoking slightly but was otherwise okay.

The two ghosts continued sparring, the fox hit occasionally but its attacks weren't too much to handle and Danny's ecto-blasts barely phased it. If it was hurt badly, it wasn't showing it.

"Okay, this is just getting annoying." Danny grumbled, slightly tired. This fight just kept dragging on. So much for getting to school on time.

The fox heard the hybrid's words and a smile somehow formed on its muzzle, launching itself once again at its foe, hitting its mark once again.

Danny reeled, feeling like he'd just been slammed by a runaway train. He attempted to strike back but his hand was snatched up in the fox's waiting jaws, slamming down hard. He yelled out in pain, feeling suddenly exhausted and the fangs continued to sink further into the half-ghost's hand. It would be insane to pull his hand away now; it would probably stay in the fox's jaws and he'd be left with a stump. What a wonderful mental image that was. _We're stronger than this fool! Come on, let me take over for now. Not in a million years you stupid voice._

The ghost seemed to sense its foe's weakness, and delivered a powerful blow to the head with a forepaw as it continued to apply more pressure to the hand that was oozing nastily in its mouth.

_I don't want to die like this!_ Danny's thoughts were panic-stricken as he fired an ecto-blast with his free hand instinctively, which did nothing but anger the beast further. His other hand didn't even feel like his anymore and he couldn't fire any sort of ecto-blast from it, making it useless. It was impossible to think of a decent escape plan with the fox clubbing his head at random intervals and seeing green ectoplasm with flecks of red leaking from the animal's mouth wasn't helping at all. Even the voice seemed tired. _We should have gotten rid of it before this happened, not enough energy now…_

"Not again! Get off him!" a third voice sounded, making the half-ghost's head snap up in surprise. He saw nothing, but the fox had dropped its guard, allowing the tired half-ghost to deliver an ecto-blast that dislodged the attacker.

The fox snarled at Danny's escape, but before it could turn to strike again it was barreled over by what looked like a blur. The aforementioned blur had no mercy against the large white and green fox, wrestling it down on a rock. The fox's large size was its undoing, as it couldn't retaliate against the much smaller blur. It moaned slightly, and stopped fighting the little…thing.

"I've really got to remember our personalities aren't the same." The black creature pondered and drifted towards the ghost he'd saved. "I can't believe you made such a mess. Sorry about that Phantom."

Finally it clicked when Danny looked over to see a raccoon looking at him with a slightly annoyed expression. "Shade?"

"No Phantom. I'm the Easter Bunny." Shade rolled his eyes at the question and spied the large fox sneaking away "Don't even think about it buddy. You might be split from me right now for multitasking purposes but it doesn't mean you can just go gallivanting around beating up other ghosts." He gave a stern glare and the fox shrank down to the size Danny had seen before, a normally sized black fox before coming back, all hostility it had shown before gone.

"So you were the snake and the fox?" the hybrid asked, still not getting it. _Told you he wasn't trying to help you._

"Yes, and yes. But right now I've only got my raccoon and fox forms. Strong Obliteration by the way, but you choose lousy targets."

"How would you know that it was me? Or what had hit you?" Danny couldn't help but keep asking questions. Besides he'd attacked him. He had a right to some answers.

"I sent the snake out to see how you were doing and I was just doing what I always do. When I collapsed on the ground screeching in pain I had a pretty good idea who'd done it. I don't feel any pain from my other forms unless they're killed. That and you almost made me lose my standard form. Thanks for that." The raccoon grumbled angrily.

"I'm still not quite following." Danny muttered, still feeling dizzy from the fight.

"I'll explain more later. But you've got to relax and fix that hand of yours. I don't know how you'd explain why your hand looks like dog food." He flicked his tail slightly at the rift that was his home. "You can fly that far can't you?"

"Dog food?" Danny asked, and glanced at the hand that had been imprisoned in the fox's jaws. He quickly regretted it, deciding not to look at the so called hand right now. "And I can fly that far easy!" he grumbled, flying quite a bit faster than necessary.

He paid for it after landing at the doorway, passing out from exhaustion.

"We've got a lot of work to do…" the fox and raccoon muttered simultaneously, while struggling to shove the half-ghost inside.

**-Linebreakareaofdoomand…fish?Whattheheckiswiththefish?-**.

They'd tried everything and looked everywhere. And still no results. They'd have to do the unthinkable.

Tucker and Sam would have to ask Jazz for help. Sure they were able to enjoy her company once and awhile, but the two guessed that Jazz wouldn't be so happy that Danny was nowhere to be found. But she was the only person that would know something at Casper High. So when they spotted Jazz rushing off to her next class they hurried to catch up.

"Jazz!" both Sam and Tucker called and the red-headed girl quickly turned around.

"Sam, Tucker? I've really have to be going to class now." She glanced towards the classroom door but noticed something off "Where's Danny? Off keeping with the family tradition?"

"That's why we looked for you. We don't know where he is." Sam explained, discouraged that his own sister didn't know of the half-ghost's whereabouts.

"He was a home this morning but I left before he did. I know Mom and Dad went out to do some shopping and go ghost hunting after…" she thought out loud, class forgotten.

"So you haven't seen him since then?" Tucker asked

"I thought he was with you two or ghost hunting." She mentally scolded herself for not checking sooner. It was best to be careful the way her brother had been acting lately.

"Well he's not. Any ideas?" Sam grumbled. Jazz wasn't helping at all!

"Well I think Dad mentioned something about testing the improved Ghost Shield before they left."

"You do know Danny can't get through those anymore, right?" Tucker asked "He said something about being too powerful so that the Shield finally notices him and keeps him out."

"He never told me that!" Jazz exclaimed, ignoring the ringing bell. "Well, knowing Danny, he'd just stay home. A day off is a day off right?"

"Or he could do something really stupid, like trying to break the shield and end up making the house fall down on his head instead." Tucker added, not optimistic about what Danny would do stuck inside like that. Jazz paled, frightened by Tucker's prediction.

"Tucker, that's not helping." Sam scolded after seeing Jazz's reaction to her friend's comment.

"Well he's known for doing some extreme things." The boy shrugged.

"I can't cut class but this is really important!" Jazz mused out loud "You two are absent all the time, you could check that Danny's okay!"

"Okay, okay if it will make you feel better." Sam grumbled, knowing they'd have some explaining to do. Curse Tucker and his crazy idea that Danny would be knocking the Fenton home down.

"Thanks you two!" Jazz thanked them, running into the classroom. Late yes, but most of her teachers would overlook that. What's one late when you've never missed a day for years?

-Suddenlineshbreakofsmallerfontvarity.Astoundingchangehuh?-

"You got us into this mess, so you'll be the one explaining if we get caught." Sam threatened her friend as they snuck out of the school.

"What? It was just an idea." Tucker mumbled.

As soon as the two were outside the school yard they broke into a run, not wanting to be seen or questioned on why they weren't at school. After Tucker had complained he was tired for the fifth time and Sam had stopped running for the tenth time waiting for Tucker to catch up, they finally arrived at the Ghost Shield protected Fenton household. Sam knocked on the door to see if anyone would answer, but there was no response.

"Think he's asleep?" Tucker suggested.

"He might be. I'm not sure though." Sam considered it, and then tried the door handle. It swung open with no resistance. "The door isn't locked?" she was surprised, the Fentons were good about keeping doors locked (To keep out ghosts Jack once claimed.) "I'll go look in the Lab, you look around on the ground floor" Tucker nodded to show he agreed and watched Sam enter the house.

"Danny! You in here?" Tucker called when he followed Sam into the house, and was once again answered with silence. He walked into the kitchen, hoping to find Danny playing a joke on them, but he wasn't there. This did not bode well. What if he'd taken off somewhere? His mood was always changing and who knew what a furious half-ghost would do? "He's not here!" he called down to Sam

"I don't even think he's in the house Tucker!" Sam called back, fear obvious in her voice.

"Why?"

"The Ghost Portal is open!"

**Lineshbreakoflinenessthatshouldn'tbeherebutissohahah**

Cold. That's how he felt right now. The half-ghost muttered something incoherent about it, wondering slightly where he was and why he was in his ghost form. It took a few moments but he remembered that he'd fought the ghost fox that was somehow Shade in some weird way, and passed out. _Because you had to be an idiot. Knock it off!_

"I told you for the fiftieth time! I'm busy with other matters right now!" A voice grumbled, and was apparently answered, but whatever the answer was, Danny couldn't hear it "That's none of your business." The audible voice snapped. "Nosy ghosts…" a raccoon stepped into view, and Danny faked sleeping, trying to eavesdrop some more.

"I know you're awake. I saw your eyes." Shade sat down and poked the 'sleeping' hybrid. "Have you decided to get up yet? It's been hours…"

"HOURS!" Danny was instantly awake, sitting upright before Shade could even blink "Please tell me you're joking."

"I don't joke." The raccoon spoke evenly before grinning "But I do blow things out of proportion sometimes."

"That was not funny!"

"Funny is in the eye of the beholder" Shade spoke sagely, still grinning. "You were only out for an hour and a half."

"An hour and a half too long" Danny muttered, getting to his feet while taking care not to use his damaged hand. _Waste of time that could have been avoided!_ "And it's still not funny."

"You haven't seemed to grasp the concept I see." The raccoon commented, tail flicking irritably.

"What concept pray tell?"

"The concept that not everyone sees things the same as you do. Quite frankly, I don't think anyone sees thing as you do." Shade got up from his sitting position and made a motion for Danny to follow "Come on Phantom. You're already here, so we might as well get started. And before you ask, I mean teaching you, numbskull."

_His insults are getting really annoying. Then we should get rid of him! No way._ Danny fought with himself before answering the raccoon. "I know it's important and all but I have to get to school, or home at least. Tucker and Sam would come looking for me if I don't get back soon." Danny frowned at the thought. Having to hunt for Tucker and Sam in the Ghost Zone was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Hurm? Oh, your friends." Shade turned around to face him, smiling wickedly "I can assure you that they are fine…." The menacing tone the ghost had employed made a whistling noise as it flew over Danny's head. Shade seemed annoyed with the lack of response and continued to lead the way.

"Oh that's alright then…but how would you know?" The half-ghost still wanted to get back home. If he stayed away much longer, his family might start looking for him. _As they are nosy idiots with no respect. They should be torched! NO, I'm sick of arguing with you! Ha, I'm not._

"You can't be tricky unless you're well informed Phantom. Remember that." Shade stopped in a room which seemed no different than the rest of the manor, other than the fact it wasn't a hallway.

"Sure, whatever." Danny muttered irritably

The raccoon's tail twitched in response to the boy's tone, but otherwise ignored it. "When I told you before that not everyone sees the same as you do, you had no idea what I was talking about, correct? Don't bother answering, I know you didn't. For example, this sack of potatoes means more to me then Amity Park." The ghost managed to pull a sack of potatoes from nowhere before looking to see the half-ghost's reaction

"You put POTATOES higher than Amity Park?" Danny growled slightly. Potatoes? POTATOES!? Come on!

"Yep. I like potatoes, and I don't like humans. It's very simple concept. You on the other hand, like humans and seem to have a dislike of potatoes." Shade commented dryly.

"You're nuts, and this is wasting time! I didn't stay here just to listen to you talk about potatoes!" Danny's anger flared briefly, but he managed to wrestle away the instinct to strangle the raccoon.

"Yes you did Phantom. I'm laying it out for you in words so that it will be easier to understand in reality." Irrtation was obvious in the ghost's voice.

"I don't care! It's still an idotic waste of time! You never show me anything of use!" Danny growled back.

Shade's fur bristled and he stood upright, fury clear in the ghost's eyes. "Wasting your time am I? I tell you things that have no use do I? When you kill those you care about I'll show YOU a waste of time!" he snarled "Or better yet…" an awful grin spread across the animal's face "I'll just show you what I meant about how I don't like humans."

Darkness snaked out of the corners at an alarming pace, blinding the half-ghost. But the blindness was short-lived when giant flames blasted forth surrounding something. The terrible heat made the hybrid feel as though he was already on fire, and he looked wildly around, attempting to see the furious ghost.

"I told you that potatoes meant more to me that people. If it was potatoes in the middle of that inferno, I'd think about risking a shot at it." The invisible ghost's voice sounded from all around. "But it's just two humans that I don't care about in there."

"What do you mean?" Danny shouted, eyes suddenly drawn to the blazing light.

"Exactly what I said. Now what were their names again?" Shade sounded thoughtful, and Danny could imagine the grin on the ghost's face.

"Now I remember! It's Sam and Tucker, correct?"

**So once again I'm very very sorry about the delay, and I really wish it hadn't taken so long -.- And the choice was to make this longer, or put it now. Getting it up now won.**

**Special thanks to Devianta, for pointing out a few mistakes I'd made before I posted. It was appreciated!**

**Thanks go to, FanFicWriter067, Shining Zephyr, Invader Johnny, Thunderstorm101, mystery writer5775, DPcrazy, Danntphantomfreeek, Shadow Moss, TexasDreamer01, Annab3ll3 L33, Velvet Star, dizappearingirl, midnight-red-rose, Em Phantom, FantomoDrako, bluexisxcool, WolfDaughter. Dani-Danny and mooneasterbunny. You are all the reason why it's not December right now.**

**Remember, if you have any questions or are confused, go ahead and ask. I'll answer as best as I can without giving away important plot points. **

**And the traditional message: Please Review!**

**-Phantom Shade**


	17. Flicker

Did we make the deadline

**Did we make the deadline?**

**Shade: By my calculations…**_**no.**_** You're off a good five months.**

**Oops. You people go read now so I can think of a good reason. **

**Flicker**

"What did you do!" Danny roared to the invisible ghost, but kept his neon green eyes riveted to the blazing inferno that surrounded what Shade had claimed were his friends.

"I'm good at getting around. Better pick up the pace, unless you like your humans 'well done'." Shade answered harshly from the shadows, his tone devoid of humor.

Danny's response was a growl of rage as he ran through his options, but his mind was muddled and he couldn't think straight. All the half ghost could think was to charge in and fetch them as fast as possible.

_No way idiot! Even if you got through that fire, they'd burn when we escaped! We have to make a PATH!_ "So now you're on my side?" Danny muttered to himself. _We were always on the same side, besides no one destroys them unless I say so! So hurry it up and make a path already!_

Somewhat surprised at the voice's wish to save his friends, the half ghost fired off a powerful ecto blast, buffeting the giant flames creating a fiery path towards his friends. But before Sam and Tucker were even in sight, the flames roared back into the way. "No!" Phantom cried out in a fury. _That's it! I'm calling the shots. Run and keep firing until we get there!_ Silently agreeing, the boy broke into a run before taking flight for a faster launch, and let loose a bright green beam of ectoplasmic energy causing the monstrous flames to shy away, creating a narrow path for the half ghost. _That's it! One question though. Why aren't they screaming? _The hybrid nearly stopped at the question, but managed to keep streaking through the temporary path. Why _weren't_ they screaming? Even he was sweating like a fiend, and felt as if he were burning. And he was half ghost! How would normal humans fair? _Badly. Ack! Shield, Shield! _At the voice's command, Danny stopped the beam and flung up an ecto shield just in time to tumble through a wall of searing heat that he had somehow failed to notice.

Danny yelled out with pain, he knew he wasn't burning but the heat was still painfully strong even within the confines of his rapidly constructed shield. _Ice you dolt! ICE!_ The ice quickly formed around the half ghost's body, replacing the ecto shield. The absolute heat of the air quickly melted the ice, forming a mist which lowered the temperature very slightly and gave him enough time to send up another ice wall, continuing to lower the intensity of burning heat as he continued his furious journey forward, letting out ecto blasts to clear the way when the ice had vanished out of the way. One slip up would spell disaster, but he pushed forward regardless.

_There! A platform! But…something is off. I can't put my finger on it._ "Because you don't have fingers perhaps?" Danny shot back at the voice, having reached the safety of the inner circle. "I don't see anything off." _Nor can you put two and two together. It doesn't matter. Grab them and go!_ "Why hurry, it's safer here anyway. I'm exhausted."_ Simple. The flames are chasing us._

Danny looked back quickly, and paled when he found out the voice wasn't being funny. The flames were roaring towards him, spurring the half ghost into action. _No time for thinking! Fly dang it! Fly fast! I AM!_ The hybrid took off as though he's been shot from a cannon, roughly grabbing Sam and Tucker as he shot by them, there was no time for being gentle, so they would have to settle for less a than comfortable ride. _How are we going to fire without free hands! Um. We don't? Then we better hope your shield holds up!_ The voice seemed to be in a state of panic, and Danny didn't blame it. The flames were close now and more of the blazing inferno lay in front of them, the long tendrils of flame leaping up as if to grab him.

_Hurry! I'M TRYING!_ Danny gritted his teeth, and willed himself to move at a faster speed as 170 mph just wasn't cutting it this time. Just had to go a bit faster and hope his shield was enough to protect his friends from the heat…

**BETYOUDIDN'TSEETHISCOMING!NOWSCREAMATMEFORBEINGEVIL!**

"What I don't get is why he'd even bother trying to get to Casper High." Sam muttered, glaring at the Ghost Portal like it was its fault that Danny had run through the portal and into the ghost dimension some idiotic reason.

"Maybe he had to tell us something?" Tucker suggested, though he didn't quite understand why the half-ghost would even bother leaving the house.

"He could have just phoned or e-mailed your PDA if it was so important that'd he'd risk a trip through the Ghost Zone." The gothic girl pointed out sourly. What on earth had Danny been thinking? Obviously he hadn't been thinking at all.

Tucker sighed, looking around the rather clean lab in an attempt to find some sort of clue. Other than the Ghost Portal being open rather than closed, there wasn't anything that struck the boy as odd. He checked his always at hand PDA to see if there was any message from the half-ghost, but there was none.

"Nothing's missing either." Sam grumbled as she looked over the assorted desks, beakers and ghost fighting equipment.

"So a ghost didn't come here. What if Danny just well…lost it?" Tucker said quietly, feeling like a bad friend for suggesting that. But with the way Danny had been acting lately and the sudden power surges he wouldn't be too surprised if that was the case.

As a response, Sam shot an icy stare at her long time friend but was silently agreeing. Right now, it was impossible to tell up from down and right from wrong. If Tucker was right, there would be disaster.

"Don't glare at me like that Sam! I know it sounded like…" he trailed off suddenly, his attention turned towards the open Ghost Portal. The boy had heard something; well he thought he'd heard something. "Um. Did you hear that noise Sam?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the swirling green portal.

"What noise?" Sam asked, which in turn answered Tucker's question.

"The noise that sounded vaguely like a growl. And came from the Portal." Tucker stated quickly, wondering if he was just hearing things.

"From the Portal?" Sam glanced over to the said gateway, looking for anything that would be making a growling noise. Nothing.

"I guess all this worrying is making me hear things" The techno geek muttered. "We should go check around town and see if they've seen Danny in either form." He sighed; there was no reason to stay here if Danny was nowhere to be seen.

"That's a good plan. I'd close the portal, but the button was smashed to oblivion" Sam commented dryly, turning to leave with her friend, but the both of them stopped dead (No pun intended) when a spectral voice yelled out

"WAIT!"

**AREWEGETINGCONFUSEDYET?WASTHATTHEPAST?ORWASITTHEPRESENT?HEHEH.**

"I swear I am going to strangle that good for nothing time ghost." Shade snarled to himself, glaring at the tile in front of him. It was a tile like those that made up the floor but it seemed to have gibberish scrawled onto it. Beside it lay more gibberish tiles.

They were Organizing tiles, his favorite method of determining possibilities and conclusions. He had many of them, all with different things scrawled upon them but no matter how many different ways he slotted the tiles together, it always led to the same conclusion.

And that conclusion was greatly irritating the small raccoon. On a hunch, the ghost grabbed another tile, slotting into the tile he was glaring at. Once again, the result stayed the same. Had he missed something important? A person, an object, an experience that could have had impact on this situation? Anything would be welcomed at this point.

The only time he'd gotten a different answer was when he slotted the 'Everything on Earth dies at once' tile into the equation. And that was exceedingly unlikely. Unfortunately.

"You'd think the Master of Time could manage to leave enough time!" The raccoon hissed, raking his claws on the answer tile. "We're out of time Clockwork! Absolutely out of time!" Wishing to take his anger out on something, Shade slammed his paw hard on a currently not in use tile, shattering it.

"Great. Now I'm furious and missing a tile." He spat, making a motion to clean up the mess, but stopped. The shattered tile…Something had to be broken. That was what he was missing! The ghost quickly grabbed a larger chunk of the shattered tile, slotting it into the rest of the puzzle to test his theory.

The answer finally changed, causing the ghost to grin. This was a far more favorable outcome. He checked to see what tile he'd destroyed, and paled. That was quite unexpected. Why that tile of all of them? It didn't make any sense! He sat down to plan his next course of action, but was promptly interrupted.

**Omnipresentviewpointhastoswitchnows.Wooosh.Nowwecanseewhatcrazydannyisthinking.**

"Where are they!" Danny snarled at the raccoon, who seemed to be fooling around with tiles.

"You'll have to be more descriptive. I have no idea who 'they' is." Shade replied dully, lost in thought.

_That stupid thing is getting really annoying. We should crush it. Oh shut up, we can crush him later. Seriously? No._ "You know exactly who they are! Sam and Tucker!" the half ghost growled. He had gotten through the fire without getting burnt to oblivion, but his friends had just vanished when he was catching his breath._ And they never said a word. Or screamed. Screaming would have been nice._ Danny scowled at the voice's unwelcome addition to his memory.

"Can't help you. Don't even know what they look like."

Danny stared at the raccoon, dumfounded. _I think he got a lesson in how not to tell lies. Then used the lesson backwards._ The voice gladly expressing its opinion again. "The fact that you captured them and put them in a ring of fire kind of destroys your alibi."

"I never did that. I made a fire and told you there were people in it." The raccoon suddenly smirked "It doesn't mean I actually put anyone there."

"I saw them!"

"Glad you liked my illusions. Luckily for me you have strong memories of your friends or it would have been a failure." Shade was still grinning in an irritating manner, flicking his ringed tail side to side. "It was a gamble to only make a base illusion with your mind filling in the gaps but it worked very well I see."

Oddly enough, instead of feeling relived by Shade's confession that his friends had been in no danger, he felt furious. "I went through all that for no reason?" he growled, ectoplasm gathering in his hands. "You are a twisted little ghost, you know that?" Phantom's fury leaked into his voice, turning something that could be said in good humor into a threat.

"In the way you're thinking, yes. In others, no." The ghost replied warily, keeping one eye on Phantom's hands. Getting blasted was not on his to-do list.

_We should blast him now._ "Shut up will you!" Danny moaned at himself, the ectoplasmic energy he'd been gathering to fire dissipating to nothing. _I know you're angry. So angry in fact…_The voice paused, and the half ghost suddenly felt as though he was dreading something.

"Yelling at yourself won't solve your problems. You've got to come to terms with the voice you keep yelling at." The ghost's eyes flashed, as though he'd thought of something. With a silent command, the black fox got up from where he was sitting and started to creep towards the door.

"Don't talk about it like you're the master of irritating voices" Danny glared at the raccoon for a second before going back to fighting off the voice's control. _Come on, it's not a bad thing if I take over for now. It's for the best you know. Don't talk to me!_

"Never implied that I was." Shade spoke calmly, but without warning he leapt forward, sinking his fangs into the same hand the fox had chomped on a short while ago.

Surprised by the sudden assault, Danny shook his hand to dislodge the growling ghost, but he held on tight. "What on earth are you doing?" Danny asked, still stunned. _Told ya he's a pest._ The voice had a point there; the ghost was being quite the pest. Even though the bite had hurt a bit, it didn't really seem to have a point. It hardly hurt and only served to be irritating.

But the ghost managed to spit out a response even though he had his mouth full of gloved hand "Distracting you."

"Distracting?" The half ghost asked, looking over his shoulder to see a black tail slip out into the Ghost Zone. _Gee, I wonder where that fox is going. Oh, I have an idea! To eat our friends alive! Isn't that a wonderful thought?_ The voice growled. And Danny saw that it was likely that it was the case. "Get off!" Phantom growled, slamming Shade onto the ground to dislodge him. The ghost let go, snarling darkly. Danny quickly used that opening to chase after the fox but his progress came to a screeching halt when something furry and heavy slammed into him. He twisted away to look at his attacker and frowned.

Bright white fur, green markings and idiotically huge for a raccoon, Shade seemed ready for a long fight. "Not yet! Can't leave yet!" He growled, fur bristling. "You aren't to stop the messenger!"

**NOWIT'STIMETOLEAPAWAYSINCESOMETHINGSLIGHTLYINTERESTINGISSTARTING.**

Many shopping bags where stuffed into the back of the RV, full of non perishable items and devoid of anything that had to be kept cool, as the Maddie and Jack had no intention of going home straight away.

Now that shopping was done, the Fenton parents set out to do what they always did, hunt ghosts. But they also had something else to keep them busy, namely tracking down the weapon that helped cause this mess. And unsurprisingly there were no ghosts to be found, they left the ghost shield up after all.

"I've gone through this list so many times, but I know we haven't hit Danny with any of them!" Maddie sighed, frustrated.

"So what's on that list?" Jack asked, reaching for some of his ever handy fudge.

"All the weapons we used this month."

"All of them? Every single one?" Jack had a slight suspicion about the all part.

"All of them." Maddie confirmed.

"What about the un named ones?'

Maddie started to answer, but stopped. There were no nameless weapons listed here! "You don't mean that it's been right in front of us this whole time?"

"What's been right in front of us?" Jack said, confused. He asked if the un named ones had been on the list…then it clicked. "Oh right!"

"I can't believe I forgot about it! It was so obvious!" The female ghost hunter hit her head with her hand, surprised they could have overlooked such an obvious thing.

"That's when I figured out the Danny was a ghost! I'm surprised I forgot too…" He seemed happy for a second, and then frowned "That's the one that made him suddenly angry."

"Angry…Oh no. Jack! I think we might have started this whole thing!" Her mind went back to that day. That's when the problem had started! Then came the misunderstanding, Jack's brush with death (Which she still didn't fully believe) and the mood swings as well.

Jack paled at the realization, feeling incredibly guilty. "That means that we can help though! By making a reverse mode on that weapon!"

Maddie smiled, now that they knew what to do, they could help! They could feel guilty later. Now was the time to help fix the problem they might of helped start. To make their son back to how he was before this whole mess.

**BACKONTHEMAGICCARPETNOWWEGOBACKTOOURBUDSTUCKANDSAM.**

"What's there!" Both friends spun around at the yell, ready to grab the nearest ghost weapon. But apparently there was no need. A small black fox was standing on the lab floor, seeming tired.

"I'm not a what. I'm a who." The fox spoke quickly, as if distracted.

Sam frowned at the fox, the fact that it spoke meant it was a ghost of some sort, albeit a small one. "Doesn't really matter, why is a ghost here of all places?"

"To deliver a message to Phantom's friends. That would be you I presume?" The fox inquired.

Tucker wondered why a ghost would be here delivering a message to them; it didn't strike him as something a ghost would do. "Yes, we're Danny's friends."

"Good. Listen up humans; I don't have time to repeat this. " The black ghost sat down, staring at the friends to make sure they were paying attention. "The amount of time you have to restore Phantom's balance is rapidly running out. You should keep him away from others of your kind for the next day or so. And his parents, the thing I told them about must be ready and used tomorrow or it's just too late." He paused, watching their expressions. "Unfortunately, the only way he'll obtain balance…is if he looses it first." He stopped awkwardly.

"You're kidding right? Who the heck are you?" Sam demanded, reaching for an ecto weapon.

"I kid you not. I'm the ghost that Clockwork directed your friend too. But that's not important right now." He answered quickly, wincing. "One last thing. Phantom's going to need your support, but when he looses it, you should get out of the way. If he hurt you, I wouldn't be surprised if the boy went into a state of depression. But make sure his parents are there for him. He'll be lost without them." He stated gravely, hoping Sam and Tucker understood.

"You seem really sure that Danny's going to loose his mind." Tucker glared at the ghost, perhaps it had something to do with it.

"That's because I'm quite sure." Shade growled, and then remembered something.

"One last thing, someone else is quite important. They'll act as a trigger of sorts." He stopped, knowing he wasn't going to like the reactions. "I need you to tell me where Vladimir is."

**Cliffhangers are back again. But this time I'm hoping to stick to an update every two or one weeks. But no promises.**

**Anyway, other than this being exceedingly late I'd like to know you're thoughts. Too much? Not enough? What I'm doing wrong? What I'm doing right? Is the plot still interesting or boring you to tears? I wish to know. Seriously!**

**And I'm going to be replying to all reviews instead of listing them all here now, unless it's impossible to reply. **

**Thanks for reading (And putting up with my lack of updates…)**

**-Phantom Shade**


	18. Loss

**Loss**

At the mention of the name Vladimir, both Sam and Tucker's doubts about the small fox quickly returned.

"Why would you need to see him?" Sam questioned the fox, suspicion clear on her face

"Vlad is Danny's enemy, not his friend!"

The black fox grew tense, it's exasperation painfully obvious "I told you. He is important to your friend's sanity. If I could, I'd keep him out of it. But I can't."

"I bet you could if were really helping" Sam glared at the ghost, her suspicions still in full force.

"We can argue about this all day, but it won't change that I must find the other half ghost. It will be to your benefit, I assure you." Shade spoke, holding back a growl. Why were these humans so irritating?

"So you say. Prove it." Sam snapped back, scowling at the fox. This was one animal she did not like one bit.

"I don't have to prove anything to you. I can, however make your half-ghost friend believe you are dead. If everything is doomed anyway, I might as well have some fun." A dark smirk lit up the ghost's eyes, deadly serious.

"_Sure_ you can." The gothic girl replied, planning to call his bluff.

In response, the small ghost snickered, clearly amused. "You think I'm bluffing young one? Then why don't you stop snarling at me and look to my right?" he pointed a delicate paw to the right, snickering the whole time like it was a sick joke.

The two friends looked cautiously to the fox's right, but keeping one eye on him incase he tried anything. What the two saw quickly erased their attention on the fox, focusing only on what was on his right. What Sam and Tucker saw was clearly themselves, but also very clearly dead. Limbs mangled, horrid expressions of terror and more, but the two couldn't keep looking. Seeing themselves dead was just too weird and gruesome to comprehend.

"Think I'm bluffing now? Think I'm merely joshing?" Shade growled, banishing the illusions with a flick of his tail. "If I wanted to hurt your friend I wouldn't need Vladimir's help. I could cause far more distress with a fraction of the effort!" the ghost glared at the two, teeth bared in a rather pathetic effort to look more menacing "Tell me where the other half-ghost lives if you value your friendship with Phantom. Or he'll be seeing something rather _tragic_."

Tucker and Sam glared at the fox, and Sam replied "Threatening us won't get you anywhere."

"Not helping me will also get you nowhere. Unless you count death as a destination."

Tucker looked at Sam and the fox, who would probably keep this up for hours, or until one of them did something unwise. He quickly decided that the best course of action would be to take it into his own hands. Taking a breath and hoping this was the right choice he said "We'll tell you. Just calm down."

"Grown a brain, have we?" Shade grumbled, thoroughly irritated from the verbal battle with Sam. "Tell me then."

"Tucker, what are you doing!" Sam exclaimed. She didn't want to tell this ghost anything that could possibly be useful to him.

"Just let me do this Sam." Tucker whispered to her, before addressing the black fox "Vlad's the mayor of this town now. He lives in a mansion over that way."

"Really now? Last I heard he was in Wisconsin with the Dairy King." Shade's eyes narrowed not exactly trusting this boy's information.

"He had to move. Danny could tell you if you asked him." Tucker answered calmly. "One more thing. You can't leave his house."

"Says who? You? I doubt you could stop me from leaving if I so desired."

"Says the Ghost Shield. You'll have to find another way there."

Shade looked Tucker in the eye, trying to see if he was lying. He seemed sincere, so he was going to have to take the boy's word. Or face the wrath of the crazed girl. Neither was a good option but that was all he had to go on. "I'll take your word for it. Thanks. You'll be glad if this all works out." With that, the fox turned around and dived back into the Ghost Portal, muttering something under his breath.

Tucker looked at Sam and let out a breath he'd been holding "See, now he's gone."

Sam glared at Tucker's relived expression "But now he knows where Vlad is Tucker!"

"I'm sure he would have found it anyway if he was resorting to threatening us." The boy pointed out.

Sam merely glared some more before sighing at looking at the Portal. Where was Danny anyway? Not at school, not here, so where in the Ghost Zone?

**

* * *

**

Shade streaked through the Ghost Zone at rapid pace, narrowly avoiding stray rocks as he went. Not in Wisconsin. Great. Now he had to find another way into Amity Park, seeing as he didn't really care for the human world and all its Portals. Skidding to a halt on a sizable bolder, the fox crouched down, attempting to make contact with a friend of his. "Zephyr, I need some help here."

"What do you want?" a disembodied voice replied, a bit louder than necessary.

"I need some information." He sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"Information isn't cheap Shade. You of all ghosts know that. If I can recall…" laugher was present in the voice.

"I know, I know. I said the same thing to you, get over it already. I'll strike you a deal."

"Let's hear it then."

"You tell me what I want to know, and I'll tell you the best way to get to Egypt." Shade flattened his ears; his friend had wanted to know this for a long time now, so a refusal would be unexpected.

"Throw in a map and it's a deal."

"Bah. Fine then. I need to know the fastest way to get into Amity Park."

"You don't know that? Geeze Shade, I thought you were smart." The voice was almost in hysterics while Shade looked positively furious.

"A way OTHER than the young half ghost's house! I tried that way and it's blocked." He snarled.

"Then wait until it's open again. I don't see the problem."

"I don't have that sort of time. I'm in a bit of a rush if you haven't noticed."

"Well, there is one other way, but I wouldn't use it."

"Tell me or the deal's off!" he spat.

"Don't get catty with me, I was just telling you the place isn't exactly safe. Alright, listen up. A little ways from here is a portal sort of like the ghost kid's. Problem is the older half ghost lives there."

Shade's ears shot up at the information "Really now? This is perfect! Thanks a lot." He turned and sped off in the direction specified without a look back.

"Hey! What about your end of the deal!"

"Swing by later and I'll tell you!" he yelled without looking back. He had a half ghost to confuse…

**

* * *

**

"Get out of my way" Danny glared at the raccoon blocking his path.

"Can't. Gotta stay here. Till messenger is back." The raccoon snarled, stringing together a mangled sentence.

_He's not going to get out of the way. So we'll have to destroy him too! No, we don't you stupid, stupid voice._ Danny shook his head, attempting to clear the voice's murderous thoughts. "Uh okay then raccoon, how about I leave, and then come back?" he attempted to persuade the beast to let him past. For all its size, it seemed a bit dim.

"Uhh." The raccoon thought for a second. "No. I checked. Said no. Sorry." The ghost apologized.

_Well, this is strange. He's apologizing for keeping me captive. Let's put him out of his misery then! No!_ "Are you sure? I just want to do one thing."

"I sure. You can do anything. Except leave. That's the rules."

"What if I try to get past you then?" the half ghost asked.

"I to bite your arm off. Then head."

The half ghost stared at the ghost in disbelief for a few seconds before sighing and turning around. "Alright then. I'll just stay here." He said, while planning a way around. _Your plan is silly. Just blast the stupid animal and be done with it. No, this raccoon wouldn't be left here if it couldn't take a few hits. Who said anything about 'a few' I meant one shot. A deadly one._ Planning was difficult with a bloodthirsty voice in your head.

"Uh. Sorry. But why is boy talking to self?" the raccoon said dully, not really understanding anything said.

"Umm. I'm not?" Danny said weakly, wishing for the voice to be somewhat tangible so he could strangle it to death. _How violent you are. Says the crazed voice._

"Must be hearing things" the beast said stupidly, still blocking the door.

"You aren't the only one." Danny sighed, pacing uneasily. Had to think of a way past this. _You already know the fastest course of action._

* * *

Shade watched the swirling portal to Vlad's quietly, reluctant to have any dealings with the devil of a man. It was open strangely enough. The man was so cocky that no ghosts would dare enter his home, though it seems his confidence wasn't unfounded. Even though the ghost was certain he could defeat or at least escape the elder half ghost if it came to such a thing, he still dreaded the encounter.

"I look awful." He grumbled, flattening his scruffy fur. If only Phantom didn't decide to destroy his snake form. Then at least he'd be somewhat presentable. "Enough dawdling, need to get a move on." He spoke sternly to himself, and leaped into the open portal. Start confident, but not too much so. That's the plan. Stick to it.

Which caused him to meet a very startled half ghost.

"Why, pray tell, are vermin leaping through my Ghost Portal?" Vlad said to no one in particular, glaring at the ruffled fox on the floor. First he was beaten to near death by that amateur Daniel, then he had a long healing period with lousy food service, and now he had ghost foxes hopping into his abode! What next, the Dairy King moving in?

"Because this _vermin_ has quite the offer for you." Shade answered curtly, ignoring Vlad's threatening tone.

Shade's nonchalant tone and lack of fear intrigued the elder half ghost, causing him to hold off on the blasting to smithereens idea he'd first thought of. "And what could a scruffy rat like you possibly offer me?"

The fox hissed slightly, but bit his tongue, not wanting to seem uppity to Vladmir. "I can offer what you've been yearning for. I can give you Phantom's loyalty."

Vlad was a hard man to surprise. He'd seen and done it all after all, but this one sentence floored him. Of course, he didn't believe it. How could this obviously weak ghost promise such a thing? Answer, he couldn't and was bluffing. "So you wish to say you've achieved something I've been working on for the _past three years _with minimal success?" he said darkly, an ectoplasmic charge building in his hand.

"Yes and no." Shade spoke quickly while eying Vlad's hand with slight worry. This is why he hated humans. So high strung. "I say this in your best interest, not mine. The half ghost you insist on calling Daniel will be very vulnerable to your words in the next day or so. If I were you, I'd take advantage of this…problem he's having." He spoke calmly, knowing he had to convince Vlad to strike within the next two days. If not…

"Daniel has a problem?" the half ghost said with surprise, not knowing this information due to the incompetence of his ghostly staff.

"A problem to him perhaps, but a great boon to you. His true nature wishes to be known, and it fits nicely with your ideals." Although this was important, the fox couldn't seem to speak in simple terms.

The multi-millionaire mayor instantly became suspicious. The ghost that stood before him spoke with great certainty and confidence, but he gave the impression that he knew far too much about the two half ghost's affairs. It bothered the man, but the information seemed sound…if not shocking. "You'd part with information so freely?"

"Ahh. Now we get to payment." Shade's grin flickered for a fraction of a second, knowing he had to remain convincing. A lowly ghost that wanted protected from a much stronger one. Choking back his pride, the fox answered. "All I wish is protection. You are obviously one of the most powerful ghosts around, and I wish to be on the winning side." The lie sound sincere, but the ghost had to work hard not to gag.

Vlad relaxed at this, shaking his worries away like a bad memory. The ghost was just a self serving cretin after all. The stupid creature had given up his bargaining chips without a fight, and now he had all the cards. "I don't make deals with idiots who cannot defend themselves. Although I see no reason to, I will allow you to leave this place unharmed for your service." Vlad said dismissively, not feeling the need to destroy the foolish fox. "Show your ugly face here again and you won't be so lucky."

"Of course." Shade slunk away, the picture of thankfulness mixed with fear. He left the half-ghost's abode without another word, feeling much safer with the swirling green around him.

He spat violently, shaking his head. "Never sinking that low ever again. Not even if the Ghost Zone might end." He grumbled, still spitting. "Should ask if Phantom has toothpaste. Wash this foul taste out of my mouth."

* * *

"You have toothpaste?" the large raccoon asked stupidly, throwing Danny off guard.

"What?" he said, equally stupidly, halting his endless pacing. "Um no. Why?"

"Just felt like asking." The great beast shrugged his shoulders, scratching behind his ear. "You can go now by the way. Don't need to keep you here anymore."

Yet again, Danny was startled. "Just like that?" he asked, wondering if there was a catch. _There's no catch. He's probably killed your friends already so no reason to stop you._ The half ghost frowned at the voice's unwanted input.

"Uh huh. You'd better go before Shade gets back, or he'll speak for hours and hours." the raccoon warned, ears flattening as he'd remembered such speeches.

If it was possible, Danny paled and sprinted out the now unblocked door. No way was he waiting around so he could get lectured constantly. _It would be a great opportunity to eliminate him._ "Just shut up!" he snarled to himself.

_I will not shut up. Listen to me now. I continue to remind you I am not some strange voice in your head. I am you, as you are me. Stop fighting and embrace who you are. Who you've always been, who you will always be. You can't change your nature and you know it! You save the town because we are possessive! You don't truly feel anything for the humans; you just want to deny yourself. A monster hiding out amongst the lambs. You may find them sweet, you may wish to be one, but you are not! You are the wolf, who will turn and devour them. Stop denying yourself. Accept your monstrous existence and be who you truly wish to be. Who you're meant to be._

Danny moaned, clutching his head as he flew, trying to block out the voice and its lies. "You can't fool me. You're a liar…I'm no monster." The half ghost's voice shook, as if uncertain. He didn't know anymore.

_Not a monster? That's why you hide from the public eye, why you deny what you are, why you lie so no one will know who you are. You feared your own parents. Why? Because they've deemed us a monster. Something to be eliminated. What if I told you I saw their thoughts, their dreams? What if I told you they still see you for what you are. A monster that must be destroyed._

"You didn't…you're lying." He tried to ignore it, but the voice was all consuming, he could barely concentrate on flying in a straight path.

_If I lie, so do you. YOU are the one who knows this. I'm just reminding you._

Danny didn't respond, focusing on Sam and Tucker. Instantly his mind threw up images of them hating him, betraying him. Their eyes would become sharper, their voices lined with hateful blades…He forced the dark thought away, trying to think of something the voice couldn't manipulate. The Ghost Zone. His home. Wait. No. Not his home! The Earth was his home!

_Is it really?_

"Stop! Just stop!" he snarled desperately, keeping his eyes fixed on the Ghost Portal. Almost back. No dark twisted imagers assaulted him. Thankfully, it seemed the voice was taking a break from the constant torment. Letting out a silent sigh of relief. The ghost landed safely on the other side of the portal, in Fentonworks. _Safe as a bird in a cage…oh wait. You are in a cage._ The voice came back, still taunting the half-ghost's predicament, so he was unaware when he was forcefully grabbed.

Panic. Without even looking at what had grabbed him, he lashed out with an ectoshield, repelling his attacker. He turned, emerald eyes blazing, expecting Skulker, the Box Ghost. Vlad. Anyone except who he saw. "S-sam?" he choked out, stepping back in fear and disgust.

His friend was out cold, having been slammed into the metal equipment at quite a high speed due to Danny's overkill in the power department. His head turned suddenly when he heard a gasp of shock.

"Sam!" Tucker cried out in shock, running over to his fallen friend from the stairs. Only after checking to see that yes, Sam was still breathing, did he notice the ghost boy had returned. "Danny! Are you alright? Did you see who attacked Sam?" he asked, but seemed worried about the expression Danny had. Disgust.

The half ghost backed away from Tucker, shaking his head. "No…I'm fine. Didn't see anything…" he tripped over his lies, a childish terror flooding his very being.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Tucker pressed, knowing something was wrong. He knew his friend, and he was a rotten liar. Still wasn't any better at lying. He took a step away from Sam and towards the terrified half ghost, and his response was shocking.

"STAY BACK!" he yelled, and the tech geek froze in his tracks, while the while haired teen moved back. "Get help for Sam. Just don't come close. Stay away." His tone was quieter now, but still a warning. _I hurt Sam…I didn't look, I just attacked her. I'm… Finally coming to my way of thinking? No. I'm not. I just made a mistake. How quickly you change your mind just to avoid yourself. I do not!_

"Just tell me what happened." Tucker forced himself to stay calm, but Danny's behavior was scaring the boy.

"It was an accident. I didn't. I wouldn't." the half ghost mumbled out, still staying away from Tucker and the knocked out Sam.

"It's okay! Calm down, I know you wouldn't hurt Sam on purpose!" The boy tried to convince the half ghost, guessing what he'd implied.

Danny refused to be comforted, and shook his head while backing away. "I didn't even think. I just attacked her! My best friend! I don't want to hurt you too." He sounded frantic, his own mind twisting what Tucker had said to mean something far different.

He suddenly halted his retreat.

"I never said I attacked her." He said quietly, glaring at Tucker.

"Well, you kind of did, and I just assumed…" Mistake.

"You just assumed I was the evil one who did this." He growled, inexplicably angry at Tucker. Sam too, for surprising him.

"No! I just thought…"

"That you should run for your life from the horrid half ghost." Danny butted in, eyes flaring wish rage.

"No! Just listen to me!" Tucker tried vainly to make his friend see reason, but deep down he felt as if the Danny he knew as unreachable now.

"Listen to your lies, your songs of hate? No thank you. Get out." He ordered, turning away from Tucker and Sam.

"Just-"

"I said GET OUT!" Danny roared, sounding far more ghost than human, as if this was his territory and Tucker was an intruder.

Tucker let out a small squeak of fear, but did as Danny ordered, picking up Sam and fleeing out of the lab, then out the door. He couldn't get through to him now. Just had to wait until he calmed down. At least, that's what Tucker had convinced himself with.

The half ghost inside moaned holding his head. "What happened there? Need to get something for Sam, I can't keep worrying about a mistake." he mumbled to himself. Why did he feel so angry? He looked to where Tucker and Sam had been.

No one there

They'd run away and abandoned him. They feared and hated him. "Why did they run? Why…" He knew why. _You're a monster._

"I know."

* * *

Jack practically kicked down the door to his home, dumping the bought food on the table, far too excited to get to work to bother putting it away. "Alright. Where's that weapon!" he said brightly, charging down the stairs with the grace of a rhinoceros.

His wife sighed, but followed him down the stairs, helping her overly exuberant husband find the weapon.

So they searched. Through boxes, bookshelves, beakers and drawers. Every place turned out fruitless, and Maddie was rapidly loosing hope, even though Jack seemed optimistic still. "Jack, I think it got smashed with a lot of our other equipment." Maddie finally voiced her concerns, but Jack waved them away.

"Don't be silly Maddie! Of course it's still here!" he paused for a moment, but continued to grin. "And if it's not, we'll build a new one!"

"But that will take time Jack. We might not have that much of it left."

"Then we'll stay up all day and night!" he said back, still grinning. He would not give up on his brave half ghost son. He couldn't.

Danny stayed hidden, unwilling to face any humans. He heard snippets of the conversation his parents were having though. Building a weapon again. To use? On him? He shuddered, wanting to flee the house, to clear away the fear that continued to mount inside. He couldn't though. Not with the Ghost shield up.

He flinched at the knock on his door. Jazz again. "What."

"Danny, you should really come out and eat something." Jazz said, trying to force her suddenly sullen brother to come out from his room.

"Not hungry." He lied, refusing to bend to Jazz's will.

"Danny, you had all day to relax at home by yourself! Just come out for a bit." She said, ignorant of what had happened during his 'free time'. Sam and Tucker hadn't come by, which surprised Jazz. They never even bothered to tell her Danny was fine at home. She didn't dwell on it though, for her brother's behavior was much more alarming.

"No."

"I'm only trying to help-"

"Why." Danny butted in; something in Jazz's tone had set him off.

"Because I'm your sister!"

"Says you."

Jazz couldn't reply, shocked at her little brother's response. Something must be wrong. He was hiding…and now denying that they were related? But why would he do that?

The half ghost grinned grimly at his sibling's silence. "I'm going to bed." He muttered, digging out his pajamas.

"Danny-" Jazz tried to begin, but Danny refused to let her have a say.

"I'm going to bed. Let me sleep."

The girl moaned in exasperation, but turned away, hoping it was nothing serious, and it was just him being a teenager. She knew though, deep down, that it was nothing so simple.

* * *

As the Fenton parents worked late into the night, the half ghost squirmed and growled at foes in his own mind. Unable to wake himself from his nightmare, the hellish place he often dreamed of.

The confrontation he'd been dreading.

_The place was the same as always. The Ghost Zone. The large rock in empty space._

_A mockery of himself grinning at him._

"_I'm done letting your foolish ideals rule us." His copy said darkly, but his form is what alarmed Danny most. He did not go for the expected Ghost form. Instead he was human._

_Oddly enough, Danny was in Ghost form. He didn't know why, but he didn't care. He needed to stop the voice from ruining his life._

"_You're the one who's wrong." Danny said, unmoving, trying to show no fear of his freakish doppelganger._

"_Oh really? You admitted that we're a monster. Today in fact."_

"_I didn't mean that! I was just upset." Danny lied._

"_When will you learn you cannot lie you yourself?" the human sighed, shaking his head. "Haven't you wondered why I'm the human, and you're the ghost?" he asked cruelly._

_The question threw Danny off balance. He didn't think much of it really._

"_Perhaps because you feel more yourself as a ghost?"_

_The ghost paled, not liking what the human mockery was implying. "No."_

"_If you really think you're human, switch." He voice mocked, and Danny struggled on if he should attempt it or not. It was probably another cruel trick._

_He tried. Failed. Tried yet again. He refused to admit it out loud, as if it would make a difference._

"_Not so human after all, are you ghost?" he laughed, adding insult to injury. "You know what that means?"_

"_No." he couldn't help it. He was curious, even though he feared the answer._

"_Simple. You're the ghost. The invader. The wrongdoer. I'm the human you suppressed all this time." His face split into a wide and cruel grin, while Danny reeled back like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks._

"_That's not true! I know who I am, and I was a human first!"_

_The voice seemed unphased, continuing the tirade of questions "After the accident, how did you wake up?"_

"_As a ghost…" Danny admitted quietly._

"_Don't you remember being…confused? Lost even?"_

"_No! I was just kinda freaked out."_

"_Not how I remember it."_

"_You don't remember anything because you didn't exist!"_

"_Can you prove it?"_

_Danny felt lost and hopeless against this thing that kept saying was him. Now it was saying he was the ghost, that the voice had always been human. That couldn't be true though!_

"_When we got separated, who was the good guy? Who was the hero?" the voice grew stronger, drawing on Danny's own confusion and doubt._

"_Ghost side."_

"_You, in other words. When did we play the most tricks? When did we embarrass Dash, flaunt our power and enjoy the pain it caused?" he continued to pile examples on the lost ghost boy, who seemed quite feeble at the time._

"_Human side…I stopped that though!"_

"_Only after your nasty ectoplasmic force subdued your more human inclinations!"_

"_That's not true! I was just overconfident!"_

"_Then explain why you hear me so clearly now!"_

_This question confused Danny greatly. It gave some relief, helping him believe the rest of the voice's rant was all lies too. "What?"_

"_What did the weapon weaken! WHO suffered the most from the blast from that gun!"_

_With that, Danny froze, stunned, unwilling to fight back. The gun weakened ghosts. He'd yelled at his parents that day._

_Then the mood swings. Vlad attacking Dad…how he attacked him in revenge._

_The swift descent from well meaning hero to revenge driven beast began there._

_When his ghost side had been weakened._

_When he had been weakened._

"_And I, strengthened." The human form of Danny smirked triumphantly, pleased in Danny's horrified expression. "You're the ghost. Not me. Don't you want Mom and Dad to have their true son back?"_

_Danny couldn't reply. He just slumped, unable to counter himself. Was he even Danny? Lost in himself and how his world had been flipped, he didn't notice his other form vanish._

Danny awoke, grinning. "Well that will keep him busy for awhile." He spoke to himself, but it was obviously not the Danny everyone knew.

The voice that had tormented Danny all this time had finally come to the fore.

* * *

**Well, that was long.**

**Of course, seeing as it was about a year since I last updated, it better be long.**

**All your reviews were very kind, and I thank you all for taking time to do so.**

**It's pretty much the only reason this is up now, your kind messages served as reminders of what I had begun.**

**On the dream sequence, you may draw your own conclusions.**

**Is it all a big lie, or the truth?**

**I will let you choose for yourself.**

**I hope this wasn't too long for you guys. It's been a long time since I've updated, and I apologize.**

**I've mostly retired from Fanfiction, but I will see this to it's end.**

**Reviews are lovely, and I'd like to know what you believe from what has been written here.**

**I'm not sure how many chapters there will be.**

**More if you find this too much in one go.**

**Less if you think it's not enough.**

**Thank you for reading.**

**-Phantom Shade**


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